New trio replaces Euclid Quartet
Debut concert
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, January 18, 2008
Violinist Eunho Kim, left, rehearses a piece with fellow Morningside Trio members, Michele Grossman at the piano and cellist Joe Shufro. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
Not all classical music has to sound ancient, somber and intense.
At its debut concert, the Morningside Trio will present contemporary composer Paul Schoenfield's piece, "Cafe Music," written in 1986.
"It's not well known," admitted Joe Shufro, cellist with the trio. "But Schoenfield got the inspiration for it while sitting in a cafe and listening to a resident trio perform."
The result, Schoenfield is purported to say, is "almost suitable for a concert."
"It combines a jazzy sound, with ragtime, Jewish folk music and Gerswhin," Shufro said with a chuckle. "We've so enjoyed working with it."
The "we" of the Morningside Trio includes Shufro, associate professor of music at Morningside College, and Morningside adjunct music faculty, violinist Eunho Kim who is concertmaster for the Sioux City Symphony and pianist Michele Grossman.
The Morningside Trio fills a void in the local music scene created by the departure of the Euclid Quartet.
Formed in Ohio in 1998, the quartet took its name from the famous Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, home to a wealth of artistic and cultural institutions.
In 2001, the Euclid Quartet was appointed Resident Quartet of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. The four musicians earned significant recognition at major competitions, winning Third Place at the Osaka (Japan) International Chamber Music Competition and Grand Prize at the Hugo Kauder International Competition for String Quartets at Yale University.
In 2004, the quartet was appointed Resident String Quartet at Morningside College, where they taught private lessons and coached chamber music. They also presented master classes at Eastern Michigan University, Reed College, and high school music programs throughout the state of Iowa.
Shufro worked with the quartet members both professionally and personally. They literally had an offer they couldn't refuse.
"They had an opportunity to be in residence at the University of Indiana at South Bend and we knew it would be a major step up for them in their career," Shufro said. "But it was a blow to us."
Shufro sat down with Morningside music department chair Gerry Bouma and the two began brainstorming about a replacement for the Euclid Quartet.
"I suggested looking at some musicians in our area who would have the same capabilities to replace the quartet," he said. "I wondered why we couldn't pick from those folks to fill that void."
Shufro spearheaded the search for replacements and was able to convince Kim and Grossman to come on board with the project.
"They are two of the finest musicians I know," Shufro said. "I was thrilled to be able to work with musicians of that caliber."
In addition to the Schoenfield piece (which is the first performance of this work in Siouxland, Shufro said), the concert will also feature Haydn's "Trio in G Major" and Mendelssohn's "Trio #1 in D Minor."
"The Hadyn trio consists of three movements," Shufro said. "The first is a set of variations; the second is a slow and unusually lyric movement, but the third is a very high-spirited 'Hungarian Rondo,' which most audience members will recognize."
He continued, "The Mendelssohn piece is one of the most significant and best-loved works in the entire chamber repertoire. It's a monumental work with soaring melodies, brilliant passage work, and emotional intensity."
It's Shufro's hope that the Morningside Trio become as established and well-known as the Euclid Quartet.
"I'd like to see us carry on the resident performing ensemble indefinitely," he mused. "I think there's almost always been a resident trio associated with Morningside -- at least in my 30 years of memory. It hasn't been continuous, but it's always been dear to my heart."
On the horizon, Shufro would like to see the trio venture outside the confines of Eppley Auditorium into a variety of Siouxland venues.
"We'd love to make appearances in schools and become a role model for students," he said. "Eventually, we hope the Morningside Trio would become a recruitment tool for music students, just like the Euclid Quartet was."
The Morningside Trio will present its first concert at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 24, at Eppley Auditorium on the Morningside College campus. Admission is free. Shufro said the audience will be invited to sit on the stage to better capture the chamber music approach of the event. For more information, call Shufro at 274-5206.
At its debut concert, the Morningside Trio will present contemporary composer Paul Schoenfield's piece, "Cafe Music," written in 1986.
"It's not well known," admitted Joe Shufro, cellist with the trio. "But Schoenfield got the inspiration for it while sitting in a cafe and listening to a resident trio perform."
The result, Schoenfield is purported to say, is "almost suitable for a concert."
"It combines a jazzy sound, with ragtime, Jewish folk music and Gerswhin," Shufro said with a chuckle. "We've so enjoyed working with it."
The "we" of the Morningside Trio includes Shufro, associate professor of music at Morningside College, and Morningside adjunct music faculty, violinist Eunho Kim who is concertmaster for the Sioux City Symphony and pianist Michele Grossman.
The Morningside Trio fills a void in the local music scene created by the departure of the Euclid Quartet.
Formed in Ohio in 1998, the quartet took its name from the famous Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, home to a wealth of artistic and cultural institutions.
In 2001, the Euclid Quartet was appointed Resident Quartet of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. The four musicians earned significant recognition at major competitions, winning Third Place at the Osaka (Japan) International Chamber Music Competition and Grand Prize at the Hugo Kauder International Competition for String Quartets at Yale University.
In 2004, the quartet was appointed Resident String Quartet at Morningside College, where they taught private lessons and coached chamber music. They also presented master classes at Eastern Michigan University, Reed College, and high school music programs throughout the state of Iowa.
Shufro worked with the quartet members both professionally and personally. They literally had an offer they couldn't refuse.
"They had an opportunity to be in residence at the University of Indiana at South Bend and we knew it would be a major step up for them in their career," Shufro said. "But it was a blow to us."
Shufro sat down with Morningside music department chair Gerry Bouma and the two began brainstorming about a replacement for the Euclid Quartet.
"I suggested looking at some musicians in our area who would have the same capabilities to replace the quartet," he said. "I wondered why we couldn't pick from those folks to fill that void."
Shufro spearheaded the search for replacements and was able to convince Kim and Grossman to come on board with the project.
"They are two of the finest musicians I know," Shufro said. "I was thrilled to be able to work with musicians of that caliber."
In addition to the Schoenfield piece (which is the first performance of this work in Siouxland, Shufro said), the concert will also feature Haydn's "Trio in G Major" and Mendelssohn's "Trio #1 in D Minor."
"The Hadyn trio consists of three movements," Shufro said. "The first is a set of variations; the second is a slow and unusually lyric movement, but the third is a very high-spirited 'Hungarian Rondo,' which most audience members will recognize."
He continued, "The Mendelssohn piece is one of the most significant and best-loved works in the entire chamber repertoire. It's a monumental work with soaring melodies, brilliant passage work, and emotional intensity."
It's Shufro's hope that the Morningside Trio become as established and well-known as the Euclid Quartet.
"I'd like to see us carry on the resident performing ensemble indefinitely," he mused. "I think there's almost always been a resident trio associated with Morningside -- at least in my 30 years of memory. It hasn't been continuous, but it's always been dear to my heart."
On the horizon, Shufro would like to see the trio venture outside the confines of Eppley Auditorium into a variety of Siouxland venues.
"We'd love to make appearances in schools and become a role model for students," he said. "Eventually, we hope the Morningside Trio would become a recruitment tool for music students, just like the Euclid Quartet was."
The Morningside Trio will present its first concert at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 24, at Eppley Auditorium on the Morningside College campus. Admission is free. Shufro said the audience will be invited to sit on the stage to better capture the chamber music approach of the event. For more information, call Shufro at 274-5206.
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