By Michael Hopkins
The 26th annual MASTA Chamber Music Festival was held on February 27, 2017 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Guest artists and competition judges were the four members of the Pressenda String Quartet: Kathryn Votapek, violin, Aaron Berofsky, violin, Caroline Coade, viola, and Tobias Werner, cello. Additional festival faculty included Kristina Willey, Molly Baugh, and Jessica Vaughan-Marra.
The winning ensemble of the 26th annual MASTA Chamber Music Festival Competition was Trio Brioso—Karl Falb, violin, Helen LaGrand, cello, Mara Logan, piano—for their outstanding performance of Shostakovich Piano Trio no. 2. Congratulations to these fine musicians! Trio Brioso are students of MASTA member Megan Crawford from the Grand Rapids area.
The judges also recognized the second place A2FOUR quartet—Lucas Atkinsmith, violin, Elena Chambers, violin, Coulton Theuer, viola, Matthew Young, cello of Ann Arbor for their performance of the Elgar String Quartet in E minor. Honorable mention went to Charlotte Farrell, violin, Anna Jarboe, violin, Amelia Abouljoud, viola, and Brianna Corrion, cello of Grosse Pointe for their performance of the Ravel String Quartet.
Thank you to all the participants for a great festival and a wonderful recital! I would like to thank these MASTA members for sending students to the festival: Matthew Briere, Caroline Coade, Megan Crawford, Julie Ford, James Gross, Alesia Byrd Johnson, Matthew Nix, Nathan Peters, Pat Smith, Amy Tenney, and Anne Thompson.
