The Rose Gellert String Quartet is the musical group in residence at the Langley Community Music School, made up of instructors and professional performers who are aiming to spread the joys of live classical works to people of all ages.
The quartet has been performing since 2016 and took their name from the school’s recital hall.
Susan Magnusson, principal emeritus of LCMS, said the quartet began with a simple desire to perform.
“Peter Ing, a faculty member at LCMS, came into my office one day in 2016 and mentioned that he and another faculty member would like to form a quartet with two other musicians,” Magnusson explained.
“We discussed how the quartet could work as ambassadors for LCMS if they chose to use that name. I approached the family of Rose Gellert and they were thrilled to hear our plans to have the quartet provide educational and cultural outreach through performances throughout Langley,” she continued.
The quartet is made up of violinist Will Chen, who holds a Bachelors of Music from the University of Victoria, and a Masters degree from Hochschule fur Musik Mainz, Germany.
Violinist Samuel Tsui, who currently performs as the principal second violinist of the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra and has worked with notable artists including Michael Bublé, Mariah Carey, and Mary J. Blige.
Peter Ing, a freelance violinist who has worked with various orchestras in the Lower Mainland and Thompson-Okanagan Region of B.C. such as Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, and Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra.
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And cellist Ben Goheen, who holds a masters degree in cello performance from UBC and has performed in several other symphonies in the Lower Mainland, including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, BC Chamber Orchestra, and Canada West Chamber Orchestra.
“The members of the group are all expert musicians that have received inspiration from many mentors over the years,” Magnusson added. “They hope to serve as mentors to the next generation of young musicians to nurture an interest in classical music and music in general.”
LCMS offers chamber music programs that puts students together to form groups; The Rose Gellert String Quartet provides coaching to the students.
Since their formation, the quartet has performed at different schools, in local senior’s homes to provide live music for those who may have mobility issues that could prevent them from seeing live concerts, and as part of concert series programs at LCMS.
The school recently made time for performing seasonal holiday favourites through a new program aimed at very young listeners.
Tunes for Tots was held Thursday, Dec. 12, which had the Rose Gellert String Quartet performing for mostly children under two.
Magnusson said they hope very young children enjoy hearing a string quartet, most likely for the first time.
“We were not expecting them to sit quietly but rather provide them with space to move and react to the music. This provides a ‘worry-free’ opportunity for the parents and caregivers to enjoy the concert as well,” Magnusson said.
Magnusson said the concert illustrated that the quartet’s and the school’s students range from every possible age and that they hope to continue the Tunes for Tots program in the future.
LCMS is located at 4899 207 St. More information can be found on the Quartet and the concert at www.langleymusic.com.
“We wish to expose the younger generation to more classical music in hopes of reviving interest for classical music in North America,” Magnusson noted about the program and the Quartet’s goal in general.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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