The Griffon String Quartet, Midsummer Music’s resident ensemble, will perform a benefit concert at the Sturgeon Bay Rotary Club to raise funds for the Door County Food Pantry Coalition.

Repertoire and event details to come.

Wisconsin musicians give back to their community by performing this program of Bolcom, Bach, Hindemith, Rorem, Scriabin, Mozart, Vierne, and more, in support of Door County Food Pantry Coalition, which includes 9 pantries in Door County.

Artists
Midsummer’s Music Executive Director, Assistant Artistic Director, and violist Allyson Fleck was drawn to Door County for its beauty and is delighted to call it home. Fleck has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Wisconsin, Illinois, Georgia, and with Russia’s Novgorod String Orchestra.  As an orchestral musician, she has served as Principal Viola of the Greeley Philharmonic, Assistant Principal of the Fort Collins Symphony, section member of Cheyenne Symphony, Madison Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Atlanta Ballet and Opera orchestras, and she is active in the freelance community. Dedicated to chamber music, she has appeared at Midsummer’s Music since 2004 and performed at the Token Creek Music Festival, Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, and New York’s famed Carnegie Hall, among others. Fleck’s arts administration experience includes roles as the orchestra manager of the Cheyenne Symphony and librarian of the Greeley Philharmonic.  As an educator, she was Assistant Professor of Music at Beloit College, a member of the faculty at Ripon College, and at Kennesaw State University where she directed the chamber music program and taught studio viola. She has also taught beginning strings in various school systems. Fleck received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Viola Performance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She enjoys spending time with her boys, Jacob and Eli, listening to music, and outdoor activities.

Roy Meyer began violin studies at 4 years old with Kyoko Fuller at the American Suzuki Talent Education Center (ASTEC) in Stevens Point, WI. Roy went on to pursue a Bachelor of Music in violin performance at University of Wisconsin–Madison and continued his education earning a Masters of Music at University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. At New York University, he pursued a certificate in advance string studies before settling in Chicago. Roy’s primary teachers have included David Perry, Carolyn Stuart, Gregory Fulkerson, Naoko Tanaka, and Laurie Hamilton. As an educator, Roy has conducted violin master classes at the Apollo Music Festival, the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Virginia Tech, SUNY New Paltz, Indiana State University, and the Aber Suzuki Center on campus at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Roy also served as visiting professor of violin at Illinois Wesleyan University in 2018.With an especially passionate nature for orchestral repertoire, Roy has been Concertmaster of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra since 2015 and is a frequent substitute violinist with the Sarasota Orchestra, and Chicago Philharmonic. As a chamber musician, Roy enjoys maintaining musical relationships with friends and performing at the Apollo Music Festival in Houston, MN, and at the Illinois Chamber Music Festival in Bloomington, IL. Film credits include Amazon Prime’s Mozart in the Jungle.

Mezzo-soprano, Cynthia Stiehl has performed as a soloist and recitalist throughout the country. She is familiar to Door County audiences through her benefit performances for the Peninsula Music Festival, Midsummer’s Music, the Door County YMCA, and Birch Creek. Ms. Stiehl graduated from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, WI. While living in Boston, Ms. Stiehl performed with the Cantata Singers and the Boston Cecilia Society. A specialist in 20th and 21st century art song, she is known for her recitals of song and poetry.

Colin Welford (organ & piano) was raised in England, and studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Oxford University, The Royal College of Music – and later, University of Miami, and Columba College (Chicago), earning degrees in Musicology, Orchestral Conducting, and Film Music Composition. He has since enjoyed a busy international musical career, conducting symphony, opera, pop and big-band albums, including numerous performances as conductor of English National Ballet. He has since led the music departments on some of the biggest shows in musical theatre history – The Who’s Tommy (Worldwide), Wicked (Chicago), Disney’s The Lion King (Worldwide), Billy Elliot (Worldwide), and Hamilton (Chicago). After working on many projects with Door County’s Northern Sky Theatre he was finally reunited with his primary instrument, the organ, through the Ephraim Moravian Church. In 2022 he established a year-round series of dynamic concerts and other musical events: “Colin & Friends Concerts.” Please look for upcoming events on Facebook and Instagram.

Wisconsin musicians give back to their community by performing this program of Bolcom, Bach, Foote, Hindemith, Rorem, Scriabin, and more, in support of Door County Food Pantry Coalition, which includes 9 pantries in Door County.

Artists
Midsummer’s Music Executive Director, Assistant Artistic Director, and violist Allyson Fleck was drawn to Door County for its beauty and is delighted to call it home. Fleck has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Wisconsin, Illinois, Georgia, and with Russia’s Novgorod String Orchestra.  As an orchestral musician, she has served as Principal Viola of the Greeley Philharmonic, Assistant Principal of the Fort Collins Symphony, section member of Cheyenne Symphony, Madison Symphony, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Atlanta Ballet and Opera orchestras, and she is active in the freelance community. Dedicated to chamber music, she has appeared at Midsummer’s Music since 2004 and performed at the Token Creek Music Festival, Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, and New York’s famed Carnegie Hall, among others. Fleck’s arts administration experience includes roles as the orchestra manager of the Cheyenne Symphony and librarian of the Greeley Philharmonic.  As an educator, she was Assistant Professor of Music at Beloit College, a member of the faculty at Ripon College, and at Kennesaw State University where she directed the chamber music program and taught studio viola. She has also taught beginning strings in various school systems. Fleck received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Viola Performance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She enjoys spending time with her boys, Jacob and Eli, listening to music, and outdoor activities.

Roy Meyer began violin studies at 4 years old with Kyoko Fuller at the American Suzuki Talent Education Center (ASTEC) in Stevens Point, WI. Roy went on to pursue a Bachelor of Music in violin performance at University of Wisconsin–Madison and continued his education earning a Masters of Music at University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. At New York University, he pursued a certificate in advance string studies before settling in Chicago. Roy’s primary teachers have included David Perry, Carolyn Stuart, Gregory Fulkerson, Naoko Tanaka, and Laurie Hamilton. As an educator, Roy has conducted violin master classes at the Apollo Music Festival, the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Virginia Tech, SUNY New Paltz, Indiana State University, and the Aber Suzuki Center on campus at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. Roy also served as visiting professor of violin at Illinois Wesleyan University in 2018.With an especially passionate nature for orchestral repertoire, Roy has been Concertmaster of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra since 2015 and is a frequent substitute violinist with the Sarasota Orchestra, and Chicago Philharmonic. As a chamber musician, Roy enjoys maintaining musical relationships with friends and performing at the Apollo Music Festival in Houston, MN, and at the Illinois Chamber Music Festival in Bloomington, IL. Film credits include Amazon Prime’s Mozart in the Jungle.

Mezzo-soprano, Cynthia Stiehl has performed as a soloist and recitalist throughout the country. She is familiar to Door County audiences through her benefit performances for the Peninsula Music Festival, Midsummer’s Music, the Door County YMCA, and Birch Creek. Ms. Stiehl graduated from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, WI. While living in Boston, Ms. Stiehl performed with the Cantata Singers and the Boston Cecilia Society. A specialist in 20th and 21st century art song, she is known for her recitals of song and poetry.

Colin Welford (organ & piano) was raised in England, and studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Oxford University, The Royal College of Music – and later, University of Miami, and Columba College (Chicago), earning degrees in Musicology, Orchestral Conducting, and Film Music Composition. He has since enjoyed a busy international musical career, conducting symphony, opera, pop and big-band albums, including numerous performances as conductor of English National Ballet. He has since led the music departments on some of the biggest shows in musical theatre history – The Who’s Tommy (Worldwide), Wicked (Chicago), Disney’s The Lion King (Worldwide), Billy Elliot (Worldwide), and Hamilton (Chicago). After working on many projects with Door County’s Northern Sky Theatre he was finally reunited with his primary instrument, the organ, through the Ephraim Moravian Church. In 2022 he established a year-round series of dynamic concerts and other musical events: “Colin & Friends Concerts.” Please look for upcoming events on Facebook and Instagram.

The Griffon String Quartet (Roy Meyer, Alex Norris, Erin Rafferty, and Nomin Zolzaya,) and Midsummer’s Music present a holiday concert to benefit Feed & Clothe My People which delivered the equivalent of 5.5 million meals in 2021.

About Feed & Clothe My People: Feed and Clothe My People is a charitable organization formed in 1982 by Bev Hogan, Bev Knutson, and Reverend Burke Johnson for the purpose of providing sustenance to local residents in need. The program was initially designed to meet emergency needs only. As the number of residents in need of food and clothing increased, so did the scope of required services. The thrift store and food pantry serves the public without discrimination based on age, gender, race or religious affiliation.

Program:

Holiday Selections

String Quartet No. 1 • Heitor Villa-Lobos

Cantilena
Brincadeira (A Joke)
Conconeta
Melancolia
Saltndo como um Saci (Jumping like a Jumping Bean)

String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2 • Ludwig van Beethoven

Allegro
Molto Adagio. Si Tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento
Allegretto
Finale – Presto

To donate to this concert, please visit our donation page, click "donate to a concert," and when prompted in the payment portal, select this concert as the donation purpose.

The Griffon Quartet (Ji-Yeon Lee, Vinicius Sant'Ana, Blakeley Menghini, and Ryan Louie) presents its first chapter concert in Door County, WI on November 20, 2021, at 5:30pm CT, to benefit the United Way and the Door Country Food Pantry Coalition. We are tremendously excited to welcome this new chapter and the Griffon Quartet into the Music for Food family!

Program:
Selections from the Danish Quartet’s Last Leaf Album
Piazzolla - Four for Tango
Beethoven - String Quartet in E-flat, Op. 127