McDuffie Center for Strings Chamber Music
“Playing chamber music is a catalyst for deepening the expressive power of music connection and team building. The process of living in a chamber music world illuminates the importance of connecting with each other and strengthens our humanity.”
– Annie Fullard, violinist, Distinguished Artist and Charles and Mary Jean Chair of Chamber Music
Chamber music is at the heart of the McDuffie Center. Each semester is a new adventure in exploration and discovery, with exciting and transformative repertoire choices, and coaching which emphasizes the empathetic and collaborative skills necessary for a successful and healthy career in music.
PERFORMANCE: Chamber music performance is celebrated at the McDuffie Center through the Young Artist Concert Series, Fabian Concert Series with Center faculty and guest artists, January Chamber Music Gala, Spring Chamber Music recital, community engagement recitals, and opportunities to perform in professional venues in and around the region. Ensembles study and perform at least one complete work per semester from the vast variety of chamber music repertoire. All performances include spoken introductions or presentations centered around the composers and the contexts in which they wrote, as well as highlighting especially compelling, intriguing or evocative aspects of the specific works being performed.
CAREER SKILLS and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The Art of Engagement-Music Sharing is a new community outreach initiative with Macon-area schools, using chamber music as a catalyst for learning, breaking barriers and building friendships. This program will offer Center students unique opportunities to develop and refine life- leadership skills such as team management, professional presentation, public speaking, competition preparation, marketing, and the how-to's of professionally-designed school programs.
VISITING ARTISTS: One of the hallmarks of the Center chamber music program is the opportunity for students to perform for many of the most respected and beloved artists of our day. Lawrence Dutton of the world renowned Emerson String Quartet serves as a McDuffie Center Distinguished Artist and coach. Recent guest artists include members of the Borromeo, Brentano, Cavani and Ehnes String Quartets as well as Andrew Armstrong, Catherine Cho, Hsin-Yun Huang, Paul Katz, Peter Oundjian, Peter Salaff, Orion Weiss, and Itamar Zorman.
REHEARSAL TECHNIQUES and CHAMBER MUSIC PEDAGOGY: At the beginning of each school year, students participate in The Art of Collaboration Seminar, where they learn to implement a variety of rehearsal techniques. Concepts explored include but are not limited to cueing and rhythmic character, tuning and intonation, matching articulation and sound production, balance, nonverbal communication, and directed listening. These techniques are also an important pedagogical foundation for future careers as professional performing and teaching artists. Active discourse is encouraged relating to interpretation and character, as well as the historical context of the repertoire being studied. More information about the Art of Collaboration Seminar.
“As a performer, giving of yourself and connecting with your audience involves communicating and inspiring and being inspired by your colleagues as well. Inspiration is a big part of it, to go even higher with one’s musical ideals and goals, striving for something really beautiful. As a teacher, I encourage each student to find their own voice to express the music in the most meaningful way.”
— Annie Fullard, violinist, Distinguished Artist and Charles and Mary Jean Chair of Chamber Music at McDuffie Center
Center Director Amy Schwartz Moretti, Chamber Music Chair Annie Fullard and guest artist Peter Salaff in Fickling Hall
REPERTOIRE: Each semester thematically aligned repertoire is chosen, taking into account special requests by students. To see a full list of repertoire studied and performed over that last 5 years, follow this link.
Please enjoy these recent young artist performances :
Arnold Schoenberg -Verklarte Nacht
Wolfgang Mozart - String Quartet K465 in C Major
