“When the Minnesota Orchestra made its historic trip to Havana in 2015, its musicians spent time mentoring selected young players,” writes Susan Elliott in Wednesday’s (10/18) Musical America (subscription required). “Among them were three members of the Crisantemi Quartet. The quartet, whose ages now range from 19 to 22, has … performed in a number of Cuban and American festivals.… Among its scheduled U.S. appearances is a November 4 concert on the University of Minnesota’s School of Music Collage concert series.… The university, along with the Minnesota Orchestra and National Public Radio, has announced the formation of the Cuban American Youth Orchestra (CAYO), of which the Crisantemi will form the core. The school, the orchestra, and NPR have collectively announced the first ‘CAYO Academy,’ Oct. 29-Nov. 5, in which the four Cuban string players and an equal number of university school of music students will train with university faculty. The grand finale of the ‘academy’ will be the Crisantemi playing in the lobby of Orchestra Hall with four members of the Minnesota Orchestra. The announcement goes on to detail a planned ‘CAYO binational chamber music tour’ next summer, followed a year later by a full CAYO tour under Minnesota Orchestra Director Osmo Vänskä.”
Posted October 19, 2017
