Miró Quartet playing with gusto. / Contributed Photo
The Miró Quartet, a nationally acclaimed strings quartet, has returned to Orcas Island for another series of performances. Since being founded in 1995 in Austin, Texas, the Miró Quartet has toured the world, playing sold-out audiences in Carnegie Hall, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and even Suntory Hall in Tokyo. Now, as part of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, they are performing here this October.
Named after the surrealist artist Joan Miró, the Miró Quartet is anything but ordinary. Their avant-garde performances are both chilling and inspiring; it is a visual performance as much as an auditory one. As cellist Joshua Gindele’s haunting cello melodies resonated through the auditorium and the packed audience, violinists Daniel Ching and William Fedkenheuer plucked and bowed their imaginative melodies in unison, supported by John Largess’ flowing viola accompaniment. “It was fascinating, the sounds they could make from their instruments,” said middle school teacher Laura Tidwell after a stunning concert at the Grange.
In addition to performing in the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, the Miró Quartet has worked to increase music advocacy on the island. Among these efforts include reduced prices for concerts to make them more accessible. The group even performed in the library throughout the week for elementary students who were not part of any music program. “If you are passionate about something, doing it shouldn’t be hard,” said Ching, regarding the importance of giving back to the community.