Western Piedmont Symphony to Present The KAIA String Quartet This Month

Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS), the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, will present CROSSROADS: the KAIA STRING QUARTET in concert on THURSDAY, March 21, at 7:30 PM at Drendel Auditorium (at the SALT Block) in Hickory, NC. The concert features the rich, colorful music by Latin American composers that beautifully blurs the lines between jazz, classical, Latin, tango, and world music.

From the tango of the Rio de la Plata to the string quartets of Silvestre Revueltas, the KAIA String Quartet, featuring Victoria Moreira, violin; Naomi Culp, violin; Susan Bengtson Price, viola; and Hope DeCelle, cello, is an ensemble devoted to promoting the rich and colorful music of Latin America and more. The quartet will be in-residency at Western Piedmont Symphony March 18-21, 2024, leading music education and enrichment concerts at three Catawba County elementary schools and at Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton, culminating in an evening-length concert on March 21.

Western Piedmont Symphony's new CROSSROADS CONCERT SERIES (formerly the Chamber Classics Series) explores different genres of music in an intimate venue setting. "Hickory is situated at the true crossroads of our region, and the reimagined CROSSROADS CONCERT SERIES will showcase the diverse, rich musical traditions of our state and beyond," noted WPS music director Matthew Troy.

Western Piedmont Symphony CROSSROADS CONCERT SERIES is presented in conjunction with L.A.T.E. hours at the Hickory Museum of Art, and with generous support from the United Arts Council of Catawba County and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Additional support for the KAIA String Quartet residency and performance is provided by Drs. Ann Joslyn and Robert Fisher.

CROSSROADS tickets are $28 for adults and $10 for students with valid ID. Purchase by visiting the button below, call 828.324.8603, or visit the WPS Box Office, located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory, NC, 28601. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mon. - Fri. Drendel Auditorium is located at the SALT Block at 243 3rd Ave NE, Hickory, NC 28601. Please note: All programs, artists, venues, prices, and dates are subject to change.

Western Piedmont Symphony's 2023-2024 season - MUSIC FOR YOU - expresses human stories and connections evident in each of the works or composers represented. The 59th season continues in 2024 with Foothills Pops: Totally Awesome 80s featuring popular hit songs from the neon decade featuring the Jeans N' Classics band and Western Piedmont Symphony on Saturday, April 20, at J.E. Broyhill Civic Center, Lenoir, NC, and a Crossroads Concert featuring North Carolina's own Bluegrass-Americana juggernaut Hank, Pattie, and The Current with special guests the WPS Maestro's Quartet on Thursday, May 2. For more information about the Western Piedmont Symphony 2023-2024 season of concerts and events, visit wpsymphony.org.

About the Artists:

The KAIA String Quartet plays an active role in Chicago's music scene where they are regular guests at the Chicago Latino Music Festival and the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art. In 2017, KAIA was the first ensemble in residence at Chicago's classical radio station, WFMT. During this residency they explored the world of Latin classical music with audiences through daily radio segments, performances and broadcasts around the city and the production of KAIA Kids, a series of children's education videos. Celebrated by Downbeat magazine for its ability to "beautifully blur the lines between jazz, classical, Latin and world music" KAIA's album collaboration with Fareed Haque was chosen by Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich as one of the top ten classical recordings of 2018. Their album, Sureño, explores the music and relationship of Argentinian composers Astor Piazzolla and José Bragato. The latest recording project released in 2020 includes a collaboration with jazz pianist Ryan Cohan in his work Originations. KAIA together with Cohan and his chamber ensemble were featured performing this piece at 2019 Chicago's Jazz Fest main stage. KAIA is deeply devoted to music education. From 2013-2017, the quartet traveled to Tijuana, Mexico to present and perform in schools through the sponsorship of the Mainly Mozart Festival. They are teaching artists for Ravinia's Reach*Teach*Play program and for the International Music Foundation's Live Music Now program. KAIA is currently in residence at DePaul University's Community Music Division. kaiastringquartet.com

About Western Piedmont Symphony:

Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, based in Hickory. For 59 years, WPS has enriched and engaged the communities of western North Carolina through high-quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances, and educational opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring classical Masterworks series, a fun and unique Foothills Pops series, varying ensembles in the Crossroads series, family-friendly Discovery concerts, plus education and community engagement programs in the Catawba Valley, all under the artistic direction of Maestro Matthew Troy. Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Business offices are located on the SALT Block at 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory. Box Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mon. - Fri. For more information about Western Piedmont Symphony, call 828-324-8603, visit wpsymphony.org, or email info@wpsymphony.org.

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