THE SOUND OF MILL MUSIC: <\/strong> The Grammy award-winning Ying Quartet performed in Dutchman\u2019s Wood-Fired Bagels in an chamber music event organized by the Bowdoin International Music Festival. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOn Monday evening, classical music enthusiasts gathered in Dutchman\u2019s Wood-Fired Bagels for an evening of chamber music, socializing and gourmet pizza.<\/p>\n
Beneath high ceilings, and bathed in a soft glow, the Grammy award-winning Ying Quartet with pianist Ran Dank took listeners through a masterful and expressive repertoire.<\/p>\n
The event was hosted by the Bowdoin International Music Festival, which often brings world-class musicians to Brunswick. Since 1964, the festival has curated musical performances for the Brunswick community and trained musicians from around the world at their summer institute on the Bowdoin campus.<\/p>\n
Today, the festival is one of the largest chamber music festivals in the country. This event kicked off the fourth season of the \u201cMusic at the Mill\u201d series hosted by the organization.<\/p>\n
Daniel Nitsch, the festival\u2019s executive director, shared his enthusiasm for the quartet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are exceptional musicians. The virtuosity they display is world class. But, perhaps more importantly, they are also incredible people and communicators,\u201d Nitsch said.<\/p>\n
The \u201cMusic at the Mill\u201d series features three events in the fall, winter and spring where summer faculty of the festival are given the chance to return to Maine to perform and engage with the community.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Chamber music] is a great opportunity for musicians to work, not only on their skills as artists but also their skills as humans,\u201d Nitsch said. \u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity for members of the Brunswick community to meet one another and seek out like-minded spirits who love music, great food and beautiful locations.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ying Quartet, featuring siblings Janet, David and Phillip Ying and their friend Robin Scott, opened their performance with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart\u2019s \u201cString Quartet No. 16 in E-flat Major.\u201d They were later joined by pianist Dank in playing \u201cPiano Quintet in F-sharp Minor, Op. 67,\u201d composed by Amy Beach. This last piece ended with a standing ovation.<\/p>\n
Cellist David Ying highlighted the particular importance of their identity as a chamber group.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the scale of chamber music. It\u2019s so much more personal,\u201d Ying said. \u201cIt becomes this shared experience of beauty and human expression.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ying quartet regularly performs in some of the most prestigious venues across the country, but they also believe in connecting chamber music with daily life. Ying looks forward to performing in less formal spaces like Dutchman\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not just for the music, but the whole vibe of being in a less formal place, of being able to eat, drink, have friendship afterwards too,\u201d Ying said. \u201cIt makes live music that much more exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to performances, Ying said that his work with the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. as well as the festival in Brunswick are most important to him. The quartet teaches at the conservatory in New York over the winter and has joined the music festival in Brunswick over the summer for nearly two decades. Now, the brothers serve on the artistic board of the festival.<\/p>\n
\u201cConcerts come and go,\u201d Ying said. \u201cEven more important is encouraging the future of beauty and artistic endeavor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ying shared he never dreamed of playing in a string quartet when he was younger, much less in a quartet with his family. But upon reflection, he believes their connection has made them better musicians.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the most important qualities in a professional string quartet that\u2019s successful and long lasting is not just musical skill, musical insight and knowledge, but it is also loyalty,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to have a lot of trust in each other. You have to have an underlying belief in each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is these qualities that have made the Ying Quartet a magnetic force for community members.<\/p>\n
Many concertgoers said they try to attend every event held by the festival, praising the organization\u2019s commitment to the arts and the captivating performance by Dank and the quartet.<\/p>\n
Portland resident Jerry Brown, who drove up to Brunswick to see the performance, shared these sentiments and also expressed his hopes for increased engagement by Bowdoin students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to see more students from Bowdoin at these kinds of events, and we want to see these events become more accessible for Bowdoin students,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For students, off-campus festival events, like the \u201cMusic at the Mill\u201d Series, tickets are half off, and during the summer, on-campus events are free.<\/p>\n
In the current social and political climate, Ying feels there has never been a more important time in his lifetime for broadening the reach of music and the arts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s so many things about the world that you will have to deal with and process that I didn\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything about music is about creating beauty and experiencing shared human experience. If other people are going to make it harder for us, then we need to do it even more.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n