The Valley Music Series presents Havenwood Quartet on March 2, 2025 at 3 pm. Havenwood String Quartet is one of the most sought ensembles for weddings/events in the New Haven, Hartford, and surrounding areas ...and we are looking forward to having these four talented musicians perform at Valley once again! The group performs both classical music, as well as original arrangements of popular contemporary songs, bringing a level of artistry and professionalism to every performance.
Havenwood String Quartet Program:
Michael Ferri, Violin; Matt Cone, violin; Alex McLaughlin, viola; Miriam Liske-Doorandish, cello
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Duet for Violin and Cello 12’ Michael Ferri and Miriam Liske-Doorandish
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Duet for Violin and Viola in G major ~12’ Matt Cone and Alex McLaughlin
Danish String Quartet arrangements from the Last Leaf collection 1. Ae Romeser 4’ 2. Tjonneblomen 4’ 3. Intermezzo 4. Shine you no more 6’
-Intermission-
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Winter, from the Four Seasons (arr. Fiona Vilnite) 10’
Kareem Roustom (1971-present) Syrian Folk Songs 1. Oh, the tawny beauty 2. Blessed are your wedding garments 3. Under my parent’s watchful eyes
Paul Wiancko (1983-present) Only Ever Us 8’
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Program Notes
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) String Duo in D Major (1782)
I. Adagio non molto II. Tempo di Minuet III. Allegro With its inventive and playful writing, this piece captures the essence of musica da camera (“Room Music” or Chamber Music). Haydn cleverly passes the melody back and forth between instruments, swapping the treble and bass roles, making use of the violin’s low register while the cello sings above it. The effect is a work with depth of color and articulation, despite the reduced instrumentation.
-Michael Ferri, 2025 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Duo for Violin and Viola in G major
Mozart was a skillful player of both instruments, although his preference was for the viola. The Duo in G reflects this preference, as he treats the lower instrument as a full partner in the musical discourse, rather than relegating it to its more familiar role as an accompanying voice. The first movement features a sparkling interchange between the two instruments. The lyrical slow movement is built on an aria-like main idea, reflecting Mozart’s lifelong love of opera and the human voice. The lilting Rondo is a movement of great charm and virtuosity. Although composed in a lighter vein, Mozart’s effortless mastery shines through at every turn, often bringing to mind the writing in his earlier masterpiece for solo violin and viola, Symphonie Concertante.
-Michael Parloff, 2008
Traditional Folk Tunes, arr. by the Danish String Quartet
I. Æ Rømeser (Danish Traditional) Sønderho is a tiny village on the southern tip of the Danish island Fanø. It is a legendary location for Nordic folk music aficionados. In Sønderho they have a unique type of dance, a “sønderhoning”, which is entirely unique to the island. It is a dance that somewhat resembles a polska, but the music is played in a different meter than the dance, creating a very hypnotic feeling of coordinated un-synchronization. Æ Rømeser is one of the traditional sønderhonings from the 18th century, the title simply meaning The one from Rømø: Rømø is the first island south of Fanø and is perhaps the origin of this particular sønderhoning.
II. Tjønneblomen (Gjermund Haugen, Norway) The tune Tjønneblomen (meaning something close to The Water Lily in Norwegian) is a waltz composed by the renowned fiddler Gjermund Haugen, born in 1914 in the country of Telemark.At first glance it might seem very traditional, but it has an unusual five-part structure, revealing that it is a contribution to the modern concert stage, rather than just a traditional dance tune. The melancholic melody has proven viable amongst fiddlers today, although people still discuss whether Gjermund wrote it as a tribute to his homestead, or to the girl that he loved but never got...
III. Intermezzo (Frederik Sjölin, 2017) A little musical break written by Fredrik, that comes and goes faster than a daydream... IV. Shine You No More (Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, 2017) The inspiration for this tune came after listening to a song by English renaissance composer John Dowland called Flow My Tears. John Dowland was a composer at the Danish court under King Christian IV and in this song from 1596, he uses a very nice chord progression which became the foundation for the C part of Shine You No More.
-DSQ Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) The Four Seasons - Winter
Le Quattro Stagioni is a set of four violin concertos, and the most famous among the two hundred and thirty that he wrote for the instrument. Vivaldi also wrote sonnets to accompany these Four Seasons, the last of which is as follows:
i. Allegro non molto To tremble from cold in the icy snow, In the harsh breath of a horrid wind; To run, stamping one’s feet every moment, Our teeth chattering in the extreme cold
ii. Largo Before the fire to pass peaceful, Contented days while the rain outside pours down. iii. Allegro We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling.
Then turn abruptly, slip, and crash on the ground and, rising, hasten on across the ice lest it cracks up. We feel the chill north winds course through the home despite locked and bolted doors... this is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights.
Kareem Roustom (1971-present) Syrian Folk Songs
The Syrian Folk Songs project is a long-term effort to re-imagine rural and urban folk music from historical ‘Greater Syria’ for the medium of the string quartet. The primary aim is to highlight the beauty and variety of the folk music found in the region at different periods in time. To do so is to recognize that national borders are problematic because they are artificial constructs, manipulated by politicians and put into place by force. Despite this, culture permeates them. By seeking out the beauty of folk music from this region, made by people of varied religions, and cultures, one can begin to find the very human nuance and complexity in what is often misrepresented as monolithic. The difference between Syria today and ‘Greater Syria’ of one hundred years ago, is striking. Until about 1920 ‘Greater Syria’ included what is now Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, the Gaza Strip, and southern Turkey (Alexandretta). Even in my lifetime, the borders of modern Syria have changed and seem to do so frequently because of civil war. The motivation for this project is in no way nationalistic. Rather it is humanistic.
I titled this collection ‘Syrian Folk Songs’ only because I became acquainted with them through Syrian artists, like the great Sabah Fakhri (1933-2021), or the lesser known Jamila Nassour (1932-2001), whose stage name was Karawān, and who was a family friend in Damascus. As I learned more about these songs, it became clear that they were not a product of the more modern Syrian nation. Rather, they came from areas of what is now Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, etc. These melodies were repurposed by later generations of artists, like the Lebanese Samia Tawfiq, or preserved, albeit in a modern way, by folkloric groups the Palestinian El-Funoun troupe. Their interpretations have fueled my imagination and I am indebted to all these artists.
Why the string quartet? Because I have met many musicians from the region who play classical western music and I would like them to have a sense of belonging in some part of the repertoire. Likewise, these pieces are also for anyone not from the region who would like to explore this music and its culture, or the sentiments expressed in it. Of course, this music is also for audiences as well. Though the work of fostering human connections and understanding through the arts is slow, and requires patience, it is what I can do to help make the world a little better.
The first song in this collection gives voice to one who is suffering from unrequited love; Oh, the tawny beauty, I am tired oh dear heart / Your love has thrown me / You with the wide eyes / Have put pain in my heart. The third song is a traditional Palestinian village song. “The groom marches almost naked between two lines of his closest relatives, each handing him a piece of the distinctive wedding attire to wear for the special night. Blessed are your garments, Muhammad (typical groom’s name); / Your mouth is chatting with us, but your eyes are all over the bride’ / Blessed is the “iqal” (traditional black wool double rings that hold the head dress), put it on Muhammad, blessed is the iqal / Your mouth is chatting with us, but your eyes are on the doe (his bride). The final song has its origins in modern day Iraq and is from a genre called mulia. The lyrics tell the story of a love sick son who crossed the bridge so often to see his beloved, that the bridge collapsed. His parents, aware of his lovesickness, are keeping a close eye on him. According to the late musicologist, Hassan Abbas, the word mulia is connected to the Mesopotamian goddess of war and fertility, Ishtar. The word has connotations of abundance, fullness, satisfaction etc.
-Kareem Roustom
Paul Wiancko (1983-present) Only Ever Us
“This piece is an excuse to gather. It is a reason to know someone better and a chance to share a moment with them. It is an opportunity to listen, chat, and perhaps consider that in this us-versus-them world, we are free to redraw the boundary of us at any time to include more them.” -Paul Wiancko
This piece was commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire, a project of the Kronos Performing Arts Association. The score and parts are available for free online. 50ftf.kronosquartet.org.
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Bios Havenwood Quartet Michael Ferri, Violin Matt Cone, Violin Alex McLaughlin, Viola Miriam Liske-Doorandish, Cello
The Havenwood Quartet is a multifaceted young ensemble fluent across a range of genres from classical, to folk, to pop. Formed in New Haven in 2022, the quartet is Connecticut’s resident Candlelight Concerts ensemble, performing weekly at the Bond Ballroom in Hartford. In addition to their diverse musical interests, the members are passionate about community engagement, cooking, social discourse, and exploring new and exciting quartet arrangements.
Lauded for their “fine bow control and excellent intonation” (Cleveland Classical), violinist Michael Ferri forges a multifaceted career spanning solo, chamber, and orchestral playing. Born in Bergamo, Italy, Ferri holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, Rice University, and Yale School of Music. Awards include First Prize at the Mika Hasler Young Artist Competition, the Shepherd School of Music Concerto Competition, and the Duquesne Young Artists National Competition; Second Prize at the Fischoff Competition (with Trio Ondata),Second Prize at the Luigi Zanuccoli International Violin Competition, and the Jack Kent Cooke Award. They have appeared as soloist with the Houston Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony,and the Yale Philharmonia, among others. Michael’s summer festival appearances include Aspen, Mimir, Avaloch, St. Lawrence Quartet Seminar, and The Chamber Music Collective at Cornell.
Matthew Cone, 23, is currently studying at Yale School of Music with Professor Tai Murray. He began studying violin with Cindy Lin at age 5, and continued with her for 9 years. Since then, he has worked with Professors George Taylor, Renee Jolles, and most recently studied with Professor Sibbi Bernhardsson at Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Matthew has many orchestral and chamber music experiences, attending festivals such as Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Heifetz Institute of Music. Recently he has been subbing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, where he was fortunate enough to perform Verdi’s Requiem on the Orchestra’s final concert of the season. In 2019, Matthew won the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Young Artist Scholarship, and performed Tchaikovsky’s ‘Souvenir d’un lieu Cher’ with the BPO. He also won the GBYO Senior Concerto Competition with the first movement of Barber’s Violin Concerto and consequently performed as soloist with GBYO at Slee Hall. He has performed in masterclasses with legendary musicians such as Almita Vamos, Rachel Barton Pine, and Emerson String Quartet violinist Philip Setzer. This past year, he won Oberlin’s Senior Concerto Competition, and performed Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2 with orchestra.
For Alex McLaughlin, a career in classical music is one that exemplifies variety and a need to perform. This drive has led Alex to seek performances in many different musical settings, from performing at Edinburgh Castle with the Strawberry Hill Fiddlers, to serving as the Principal Violist of the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra (ECSO), and to educating children at a small library in Blossburg, PA. Alex is a graduate of both the Eastman School of Music and the Yale School of Music, receiving the Robert L. Oppelt award from the former and being a featured artist in the Oneppo Chamber Series of the latter. Alex has appeared in several festivals in the United States including the Spoleto Festival, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Weekend of Chamber Music, and the Endless Mountain Music Festival. In addition to the ECSO, Alex regularly performs with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra, and the Woodstock Symphony Orchestra. Alex has had the honor of working with many masters of the viola in his career,including Emily Schaad, Carol Rodland, Ettore Causa, Jeffrey Irvine, Masumi Per Rostad, and Kim Kashkashian. He currently performs on a 1970 viola by Otto Erdesz.
Award-winning soloist and chamber musician Miriam Liske-Doorandish has been noted for her “wonderful warmth and flexibility” and her “fresh and incisive style”. Raised in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, Miriam is motivated by a love of collaboration that finds her equally at home in traditional chamber music settings and traditional fiddling sessions. An eclectic performer, she pursued historical, contemporary, and traditional performance practices during her studies at the Royal College of Music, Oberlin Conservatory and the Yale School of Music. As cellist of the exploratory ensemble Trio Ondata, Miriam is a recipient of the First Prize and Audience Choice Award at the 2023 Yellow Springs Chamber Competition. The trio is also Second Place Laureate and recipient of the inaugural Horszowski Prize at the 2022 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and winner of the 2022 Yale School of Music Chamber Competition. Miriam has received grants from the Flint Initiative Grant and the Secular Society for her work as co-director of Cello Springs Festival in Yellow Springs, OH. This summer, Miriam looks forward to appearances and residencies with Trio Ondata, concerts with the Havenwood Quartet, and an interdisciplinary collaboration with Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance for Martin Bresnick’s The Winter’s Tale at New York’s DiMenna Center.