Upcoming Special Guest Artists and Events

The George W. Dickieson Chamber Music Endowment
presents

Cuarteto LatinoamericanoCuarteto Latinoamericano

Friday, May 2, 2:30 p.m.
Recital Hall

Grammy-nominated Cuarteto Latinoamericano will perform as part of the George W. Dickieson Chamber Music Endowment at the UNCG School of Music on Friday, May 2, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. in the School of Music Recital Hall.  The event is free and open to the public.  The program will feature works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Astor Piazzolla, Miguel del Aguila, Arturo Marquez and Javier Montiel.

Cuarteto Latinoamericano, formed in 1982, is known worldwide as the leading proponent of Latin American music for string quartet. This award-winning ensemble from Mexico consists of the three Bitrán brothers, violinists Saúl and Arón and cellist Alvaro , along with violist Javier Montiel. The Cuarteto has recorded most of the Latin American repertoire for string quartet, and the sixth volume of their Villa-Lobos 17 quartets cycle, recorded for Dorian, was nominated for a Grammy award in 2002 in the field of Best Chamber Music Recording as well as for a Latin Grammy.

The Cuarteto is in residence at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Since 2004, the Cuarteto has been awarded the “México en Escena” grant, from Mexico’s National Fund for Arts and Culture. Thanks to this support, the Cuarteto has been able to develop an intense educational program in Mexico’s major professional music schools, and also present a retrospective series of concerts with music for string quartet from virtually all Latin American countries.  Additionally, and as part of this grant, the Cuarteto is collaborating with prestigious Mexican filmmakers on a series of video clips which will feature short works for quartet by Latin American composers.

The concert is made possible by the George W. Dickieson Chamber Music Endowment, honoring the former UNCG School of Music faculty member who passed away on May 23, 2004.  During his 39-year tenure, Dickieson instituted the first graduate degree courses, Chamber Music and Symphonic Literature, which are still in the catalogue today, in addition to teaching violin, conducting and orchestration, organizing a student orchestra called “The Sinfonia,” and coordinating several faculty chamber music ensembles that performed locally and out of state.  He also served as head of the violin department and chairman of the conducting division.  George founded and was the first president of the NC Chapter of the American String Teachers Association, and was a member and officer of Pi Kappa Lambda, was elected to the Golden Chain Honorary Leadership Society, and was honored by Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity for his “significant and outstanding contributions to the cause of music in America.” 
His wife, Anna Bell Dickieson, established the endowment in celebration and commemoration of George’s distinguished career, leadership, musicianship, and life.