Music students at the George Washington University got lessons from the pros when the award-winning Aeolus Quartet visited campus last week through the Stanley Yeskel Visiting Artists Series for workshops, lessons and a concert in Post Hall.
The Aeolus Quartet is made up of four young musicians, including violinists Nicholas Tavani and Rachel Shapiro, violist Gregory Luce and cellist Alan Richardson. The group formed at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2008, and has been gathering acclaim and awards around the country ever since. They are currently in a two-year residency at the Julliard School.
“Nick, Rachel, Greg and Alan are not just wonderful individual performers, but great ensemble performers as well. They are great role models and inspirations for students at GW for the way they play together with such fantastic camaraderie and playfulness,” said Chair of the Department of Music Douglas Boyce.
The Department of Music has a longstanding relationship with the musicians: The Aeolus Quartet has visited the Foggy Bottom campus before to coach music majors on performance techniques. They also worked with the university during the Summer Piano and Chamber Music Institute last year and did outreach concerts at local D.C. high schools.
Their visit last week included several one-on-one sessions with students, including Presidential Scholars in the Arts; rehearsals; an on-campus concert. During their time with students, the group worked with sophomore and music minor Jacob Warwick, who said the members of the Aeolus Quartet were able to convey their love of music through their lessons.
“Their candid and helpful suggestions have improved my playing, but it’s their ensemble coaching that made me appreciate the extent to which they deeply understand the skill of playing music. Thanks to the music department, working with the Aeolus Quartet has truly been an ‘only at GW’ opportunity,” said Mr. Warwick.
Mr. Luce explained that every time he coaches a performer, he is also able to walk away having learned a few lessons of his own.
“[Coaching] reverts my mind back to the basics, which are usually what really draw the listener into a performance in the first place. Sometimes I'll mention an idea or concept to a student and realize that it’s a subconscious idea for my own improvement which I haven't been able to articulate until that moment,” he said.
The quartet showcased their talents Friday night at Post Hall as part of the Stanley Yeskel Memorial Concerts, a series that brings national and international musicians to GW. The show also featured Malinee Peris, and Lithuanian pianist and former Stanley Yeskel Visiting Artist, Ieva Jokubavicute. The program is supported by Peter Yeskel, B.A. ‘71, who set up the concert performances and master classes to honor his late father, Stanley Yeskel.
The concert was also an opportunity to premiere the music department’s brand new piano. Through the efforts of many donors and supporters—including Senior Executive Director of Planned Giving John Kendrick, music professors Robert Baker and Ms. Peris, Dean of the Mount Vernon Campus Rachell Heller, and the offices of the President and Provost—a Steinway Model B piano was purchased for Post Hall. The instrument is significantly larger than the previous piano and meets the standards of internationally acclaimed visiting musicians who play on campus, including those in the Yeskel Visiting Artist series. The piano will also be used for master classes with visiting faculty artists, faculty ensemble concerts and senior student recitals.
For the quartet, a visit to GW provided the opportunity to share their process and values with the wider D.C. community.
“We feel that the string quartet is a very American construction, a representation of the fact that democracy can work and in fact, does work. Since there’s not a professional, full-time quartet living in the D.C. area, we feel that it's about time that an institution like GW take up the reins to support one, and the music department is doing exactly that,” Mr. Luce said.