ST. GEORGE STRING QUARTET TO PREMEIRE AT KAMMERSTREICHER CONCERT

WARTBURG COLLEGE MARKETING & COMMUNICATION

Wartburg College’s new St. George String Quartet will have its concert debut with Kammerstreicher on Friday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. in the Wartburg Chapel.

The concert is free and open to the public. Each of the quartet members receives a scholarship funded by the Wartburg Community Symphony Association, and the first performance will honor Brent Jensen, a longtime Wartburg Community Symphony Association member who died in 2019. Members of Jensen’s family will be at the concert.

The new string quartet comprises the top four string players at the college, each of whom was chosen via audition. They are:

Nathan Hickox-Young, Violin I

Ashton Camper, Violin II

Gwen McQuaig, Viola

Andrew Buchheim, Cello

Members of the quartet serve in leadership roles within the college’s string ensembles and meet regularly with Bethany Washington, a string specialist and Wartburg violin and viola professor. The quartet will provide music at functions on campus and within the Waverly community as requested and will serve as a recruitment vehicle for Wartburg’s growing string program.

“We are excited to see how the group organically emerges into its own entity. We anticipate several performances with Kammerstreicher, but are also planning independent events as they arise,” said Rebecca Nederhiser, director of the Wartburg Community Symphony and Kammerstreicher. “The beauty of a quartet is not only the amazing repertoire that is available to them, but also their ability to travel more easily than a full strings ensemble. The group has already performed at Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School and High School and Eisenach Village. We are excited for future opportunities to perform within the community and beyond.”

The quartet was named for St. George, the patron saint of Eisenach, Germany, and the name of the church where Johann Sebastian Bach was baptized. Bach was one of the most influential composers of 17^th-century Germany, and his family has deep roots in Eisenach.

“In choosing a name for the quartet we felt it was necessary to find one that was both easy to remember and one that honored the history of Wartburg College and our connection to the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, Germany,” Nederhiser said.

The quartet will play all types of music, from standard classical quartets to arrangements of popular folk tunes and pop tunes. This Christmas the group will prepare arrangements of standard carols.

“The future is bright for the St. George String Quartet. They are already becoming a visible and positive face for the Wartburg orchestra program. I see them expanding their role not only in the Waverly community, but also beyond, including touring opportunities, festivals and conference presentations,” Nederhiser said.

For bookings and inquiries, contact Nederhiser at rebecca.nederhiser@wartburg.edu.