Mill City String Quartet with Stacey Mastrian, soprano

Mill City String Quartet with soprano Stacey Mastrian concert closes our ’24-25 concert season with a delightful program of music for soprano and string quartet featuring works by Caroline Shaw, Ottorino Respighi, Morton Feldman, Clara Wieck-Schumann, Arthur Shepherd, and the Danish String Quartet.  

Mill City String Quartet (MCSQ) is an internationally prize-winning chamber ensemble based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Recently, MCSQ achieved significant accolades, winning First Prize at the Fanny Mendelssohn International Competition in the Professional Chamber Music category (2024), Second Prize at the Charleston International Music Competition (Winter 2024), and Third Prize at the International Clara Schumann Competition (2023). This dynamic string quartet is dedicated to cultivating transformative concerts that not only promote underrepresented composers but also celebrate the classical music genre. Selected six times as Minnesota Public Radio Class Notes artists, MCSQ has introduced their music to thousands of school children through performances and master classes. Their recent engagements include performing the National Anthem for the Minnesota Twins at Target Field and concert performances in Iowa, Florida, and Oregon. The quartet has also held educational residencies with The Schubert Club and Oregon’s Britt Festival. MCSQ is committed to community outreach, having performed at Minnesota’s all-women’s correctional facility and The Glenn, a retirement community in Minnetonka. They frequently participate in regional chamber music series, showcasing their talent across various venues. Current members of MCSQ are Huldah Niles (Artistic Director and violin), Erika Hoogeveen (violin), Coca Bochonko (viola), and Rebeccah Parker Downs (cello).   

Stacey Mastrian – “Manifestly courageous” (Boston Globe) and “inspired” (New York Times) soprano Stacey Mastrian is a Fulbright Grantee, Beebe Fellow, and Richard F. Gold Career Grant recipient.  Her repertoire extends from Hildegard von Bingen and Beatriz de Día to Machaut and Monteverdi, through Mozart and Verdi to the present, and she has sung in more than two dozen languages. In addition to standard classical repertoire, she specializes in art song, Italian vocal music, 20th- and 21st-century vocal works, and works that highlight social issues and innovation. 

Programming and performing thought-provoking repertoire spanning more than two dozen languages and 900 years, she endeavors to spark curiosity, deep empathetic responses, and reflection to shape our collective journey for the better.  

Concert sponsor:
Julie Aronson Dehnel