Inaugurated in 1997, the Catherine Filene Shouse Institute has brought to Detroit a number of young
chamber music ensembles emerging to professional status. The program consists of two weeks of
performances and coachings sessions with Festival artists. Generous host families provide tuition,
meals and lodging for the artists participating in the program.
The Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival takes great pride in the high level of poise and
musicianship these players have brought to our stages. Many of these young ensembles have found international
success since their respective appearances on the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Collectively their
achievements have been remarkable.
The Leo String Quartet brings together musicians from around the world, drawing its members from Germany, Japan, Belgium and Korea. Since meeting at the highly acclaimed Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont the Leo String Quartet has performed at Kronberg Academy's Chamber Music Connects the World, Music@Menlo and the Aspen Music Festival. They have also toured with Musicians from Marlboro and the Ravinia Rising Stars Chamber Music Series.
A newly-formed quartet, each member boasts outstanding achievements individually. Violinist Korvinian Altenberger has appeared as soloist with the Munich Philharmonic, Hall Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra. Violinist Miho Saegusa is a member of the Iris Chamber Orchestra, where she has held the Isaac Stern Concertmaster Chair on numerous occasions. Dimitri Murrath, violist of the Leo String Quartet, won first prize in the 2008 Primrose International Viola Competition. Making her debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra as the winner of the orchestra's Greenfield Competition, cellist Na-Young Baek has also performed with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and Seoul Philharmonic. While at Yale, Baek received the Aldo Parisot Prize, awarded to the most promising young cellist.
Harlem String Quartet
Sponsored by Nancy & William Duffy and Aviva & Dean Friedman
The Harlem String Quartet, comprising First-Place Laureates of the Sphinx Competition, has a unique and challenging mission: to advance diversity in classical music while engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire, highlighting works by minority composers.
Dedicated to education and community engagements as well as superb classical performance, this innovative and daring all-Black and Latino string quartet serves as principal faculty at the Sphinx Performance Academy at Walnut Hill School in Massachusetts, one of the premier independent arts prep schools in the world, and as visiting faculty at the Sphinx Preparatory Music Institute at Wayne State University in Detroit.
The Harlem String Quartet has performed to enthusiastic praise. The New York Times commented, "The Harlem Quartet played with panache."In the summer of 2008, as participants in the Chamber Music Workshop at The Perlman Music Program, they worked daily with such master musicians as Itzhak Perlman, Donald Weilerstein, Paul Katz and Merry Peckham.
Hausmann String Quartet
Sponsored by Kathleen & Randolph Schein
The Hausmann String Quartet was formed in the summer of 2004 at the LyricaFest music festival in Chatham, New Jersey. Praised for charismatic playing and a "deeply lyrical sound," the Quartet made its debut with the Lyrica Boston Chamber Music Players and was named Lyrica Boston's Young Artists in Residence.
Named Norfolk Festival Quartet Fellows in Residence in 2006 and Quartet-in-Residence at the Blossom Music Festival in 2007, the Hausmann String Quartet has worked closely with members of the Vermeer, Tokyo and Keller quartets. They have also been mentored by the Miami Quartet for the last three years at Kent State University. In 2008 they made their debut at Music@Menlo and they were one of three quartets chosen to take part in the Emerson Quartet's acclaimed international workshop at Stony Brook University in New York.
The Quartet has collaborated with composer John Howell Morrison in preparation for the East-coast premiere of his work Hard Weather Makes Good Wood for string quartet and tape. Upcoming collaborations include work with renowned composer Gabriela Lena Frank and rising star, Liam Wade.
The Hausmann Quartet holds the Morrison Fellowship Award in residency with the Alexander String Quartet at the International Center for the Arts, San Francisco State University.
Catherine Filene Shouse
The eldest Granddaughter of the Founder of Filene's Specialty Store in Boston, Massachusetts,
Catherine Filene Shouse, grew up surrounded by leaders in the music, education and civic worlds.
Her Parents instilled in her a special sense that with privilege comes responsibility to Society.
Mrs. Shouse became a dynamic, active visionary for political, educational, cultural, international
and women's affairs, who served her country during wartime and peace, with dedication that won her
the highest of honors. Her awards include: The U. S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, Dame Commander
of the British Empire by Elizabeth II, Germany's Commander's Cross of Merit, Austria's Medal of Honor
and France's Officier dans l'Ordere des Arts et des Lettres. Additional appreciation was expressed
through 59 other citations and honors and 14 Honorary Degrees from universities and colleges.
The legacy of Kay Shouse includes the donation of her land in Virginia, buildings
on it and funds for construction of "The Filene Center" to the U. S. Government for the creation of
the first and only National Park for the Performing Arts and Related Education Programs, Wolf Trap.
The gift was accepted by an Act of Congress in l966. The Center is a living monument to the mind,
spirit and generosity of Mrs. Shouse. She served on the Wolf Trap Board and alternated the role of
Program Chairman with Beverly Sills.
During the l970s, Wolf Trap presented such rising young stars as Jessye Norman,
Luciano Pavarotti and James Tocco.
The Catherine Filene Shouse Foundation continues a fundamental interest of Mrs.
Shouse by furthering the careers of promising young people in the performing arts. The Great Lakes
Chamber Music Festival is pleased to be the recipient of support from the Foundation, which Mrs.
Shouse established.
