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, with many achieving Grammy-award nominations.
The 2010 Shouse Artists
Trio La Plata
Guillaume Molko, violin Gregorio Robino, cello Yannick Rafalimanana, piano
Trio La Plata brings together musicians from Madagascar, Argentina and France. In light of the Trio’s international origins, they group has chosen to focus the trio on the culture and music of the country that they have in common: France.
Since meeting at the prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, Trio La Plata has performed at highly acclaimed international music festivals, including the Torrefactum de la Rioja in Spain and the Festival Chopin in Paris. They have also performed in concerts in Paris, Roubaix, Lille, Saint-Denis and New York and enjoyed a residency in the Château de Saint-Jean de Chépy in France.
During their studies, the trio had the opportunity to work with Itamar Golan, François Salque, Michel Moragues, David Walter and Jean Koerner in Paris but also Jerome Lowenthal, Vivian Hornik Weilerstein, Seymour Lipkin and Victor Rosenbaum.
In May 2010, the Trio will begin attendance at the Académie musicale de Villecroze in France.
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.
Jasper String Quartet
Sponsored by Kathleen & Randolph Schein
The Jasper String Quartet is the winner of the Grand Prize and the Audience Prize at the 2008 Plowman Chamber Music Competition, the Grand Prize at the 2008 Coleman Competition, First Prize at Chamber Music Yellow Springs 2008, and the Silver Medal at the 2008 and 2009 Fischoff Chamber Music Competitions. They are currently the graduate quartet-in-residence at the Yale School of Music, studying with the Tokyo String Quartet. In 2010 they joined the roster of Astral Artists as a winner of their national auditions.
The Jaspers are the 2009-10 Ernst C. Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts and were the first ensemble to win the Yale School of Music’s Horatio Parker Memorial Prize, an award established in 1945 and selected by the faculty for “best fulfilling… lofty musical ideals”.
Originally formed at Oberlin Conservatory, the Jaspers began pursuing a professional career when they became Rice University’s graduate quartet-in-residence in 2006. J and Rachel are married and all four members are close friends, living within a block of each other in New Haven, CT. For more information please visit www.jasperquartet.com.
Trio de Lausanne
Sponsored by Kathleen & Randolph Schein
Miki Aoki, piano Andrey Baranov, violin Mary Elliott, cello
Trio de Lausanne met in 2008 in Lausanne, Switzerland where they formed under the guidance of Pierre Amoyal. They have performed in prestigious venues throughout Switzerland and have been invited to perform in the UK, Germany and USA.
Violinist Andrey Baranov from Russia is a graduate of St. Petersburg Conservatory and Conservatoire de Lausanne. Winner of numerous international prizes, he was the winner of 2008 B. Britten Competition and Henry Marteau Competition.
Cellist Mary Elliott from Wales is the recipient of Elizabeth Evans Award, Jelinek Prize and R. Davies Prize. She has performed in London’s Purcell Room, for the Thai Royal family in Bangkok, and in recitals in Tunisia, USA, Denmark, Switzerland, and Italy.
Pianist Miki Aoki made her debut at the Royal Festival Hall in London at age 12 with the National Symphony Orchestra. As a soloist, she has been invited to the Mecklenburg-Vorpommen Festival, Salzburger Festspiele, Perlman Chamber Music Program and Kronberg Academy.
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.
