The 29th annual MASTA Chamber Music Festival was held on March 2, 2020 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Guest artists and competition judges were the four members of the MUSE Ensemble: Maria Sampen, violin, Kyoko Kashiwagi, violin, Eva Stern, viola, and Katri Ervamaa, cello. Additional festival faculty included Marla Smith. The winning ensemble of the 29th annual MASTA Chamber Music Festival Competition was the Quartet Frederick for their performance of the first movement of String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80 by Felix Mendelssohn. Quartet Frederick is Anda Jiang, violin, Stuart Atkinsmith, violin, Lydia Knecht, viola, and Sebastian Berofsky, cello. They will be featured at the MYAF in May.
The runner up ensemble was the Brumeux Trio of Grand Rapids for their performance of the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 “Archduke.” The Brumeux Trio is Cara Wunder, violin, Peter Falb, cello, and Elijah Sikora, piano.
Congratulations to these students and their coaches, Kathryn Votapek and Alicia Gregorian Sawyers!
Thank you to all the participants for a great festival and a wonderful recital! Thank you to these MASTA members for sending students to the festival: Megan Crawford, Alesia Byrd Johnson, and Nathan Peters. Please send your students to the 30th anniversary festival in 2021!
Mike Hopkins & Quartet Frederick 
Quartet Frederick performing 
Brumeux Trio performing