Chiara String Quartet Entertains Curtis
Curtis, NE, May 5, 2007: - The Star Theatre in Curtis was packed on Monday, April 30, for the performance of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Chiara String Quartet. Over 170 people gathered to hear the award winning artists-in-residence from the UNL School of Music. All ages came to hear this unique gift given to the community from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Several three generation families and many students were present to enjoy this special opportunity. The Family and Community Education Clubs in Frontier County donated cookies and hosted the reception held before the concert.
The Chiara Quartet is composed of Rebecca Fisher and Julie Yoon on the violin, Jonah Sirota on the viola, and Gregory Beaver on the cello. They are known as "four unique and strong voices that combine into a powerful whole". Throughout their career, the Chiara String Quartet has intentionally blurred the boundary between performance and outreach. Chiara (key-ARE-uh) is an Italian word, meaning "clear, pure, or light".
In their tour across Nebraska, the quartet also had night performances in the Minden Opera House, the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, and the Halsey State 4-H Camp. School visits were offered in Kearney, North Platte, and Scottsbluff. According to Extension Educator Barbara Scharf, "This concert shows that the University of Nebraska truly has a 'five hundred mile' campus and that UNL is serving the state with the land grant mission. I would like to thank the community for the warm enthusiastic reception of the quartet."
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Administration present at the concert included: UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman, NU Vice President and UNL Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources John Owens, UNL Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Dean Jack Oliva, UNL School of Music Director John Richmond, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Dean Weldon Sleight, and UNL College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Steve Waller.
According to Weldon Sleight, Dean of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, "The Chiara String Quartet enhanced the lives of all who attended the performance. In addition to the life enrichment I want very much to see this type of performance here in Curtis at least on a monthly basis. As many know, I spend a lot of time speaking about rural Nebraska economic development. While that is my passion, I firmly believe that arts events will build us up as a community and will help us recruit professionals that want to have a connection to the arts while they are enjoying all the other wonderful amenities found in rural Southwest Nebraska."
