Callisto Quartet Enthralls Minneapolis with Strenuous Paul Wiancko Premiere

The Lakes Area Music Festival, founded by Scott Lykins 15 years ago, has once again uplifted the cultural scene in Minneapolis by hosting the dynamic Callisto Quartet at the Woman's Club this past Thursday. This event is a part of the Festival's winter series designed to bring classical music's finest to the heart of Brainerd.

Consisting of Cameron Daly and Gregory Lewis on violins, Eva Kennedy on viola, and Hannah Moses handling the cello, the Callisto Quartet formed at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2016 and has since garnered international acclaim. The ensemble, the proud recipient of the 2018 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition's grand prize, now balances their time between residencies at Yale University, the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, and international tours.

The opulent Woman’s Club, with its palatial mirrors, grand windows, and high ceilings, draped by chandeliers and adorned with diverse portraits of women, served as the backdrop for an evening that melded performance and elegance into one. The setting stitched together the aura of an exclusive soirée with the intimacy of chamber music to unforgettable effect.

The evening's repertoire began gracefully with Mozart's String Quartet No. 16 in E-flat Major, taking the audience through seamless octave leaps and spirited Menuetto movements. The Callisto Quartet showcased their synchrony and vibrant energy, particularly Daly's expertise in the demanding lead violin role.

In the heart of the concert sat an impressive piece by Paul Wiancko of the Kronos Quartet. Introduced by Kennedy, the quartet delved into 'Lift', a composition brimming with fervor and a complex exploration of joy. Wiancko's work pushed the boundaries of string performance, introducing an array of unconventional techniques and allowing the quartet to extract a pantheon of sounds from their classical instruments, at times uncannily mimicking brass, woodwinds, and even a theremin.

Following an intermission, the ensemble reemerged to delve into Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major. This marked a return to more classic frameworks after the audacious journey of Wiancko's piece, yet Ravel's composition still demanded a navigational prowess through its enigmatic melodies and rhythmic complexities, which the quartet executed with grace and vigor.

The Callisto Quartet’s visit to Minneapolis extended beyond the concert hall; the ensemble engaged with school groups and performed at the Crow Wing County jail, bringing classical music to diverse audiences. Their next performance in Brainerd is scheduled for the upcoming Sunday.

As the Lakes Area Music Festival continues its winter series, the next event highlights violinist Chloe Fedor in a solo performance at the Woman's Club on Friday, Feb 16.

concert, quartet, music