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24901 Northwestern Highway, Suite 312, Southfield, MI 48075
248-559-2097
248-559-2098
info@greatlakeschambermusic.org

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This Thanksgiving, we're thankful for YOU. The sup

This Thanksgiving, we're thankful for YOU. The supportive fans, the lovely listeners. Those who come out to support chamber music no matter what. Thank you for being the bedrock of our festival, and live music as a whole!

Olivier Messiaen (b. 1908) was a French composer a

Olivier Messiaen (b. 1908) was a French composer and organist, widely regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century. His most famous work, "Quartet for the End of Time," was created during a turning point in his life.⁠
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Messiaen became a prisoner of war in 1940 after the Fall of France. It was there that he composed his famous composition, utilizing the four instruments available in the prison—piano, violin, cello and clarinet. The work was first performed in January 1941 to an audience of prisoners and prison guards, with the composer playing a poorly maintained upright piano in freezing conditions and the trio playing third-hand unkempt instruments. The enforced introspection and reflection of camp life bore fruit in one of 20th-century classical music's acknowledged masterpieces.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Paul Watkins is a Welsch classic

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Paul Watkins is a Welsch classical cellist and conductor. He has performed worldwide including concerto appearances with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, the BBC Symphony, and his U.S. concerto debut with the Colorado Symphony. A dedicated chamber musician, Watkins was a member of the Nash Ensemble from 1997 to 2013, and joined the Emerson String Quartet in May 2013. Since 2014, Watkins has been the Artistic Director of the Great Lakes Chamber Music festival. ⁠
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Watkins will be performing with the Emerson String Quartet at this summer's Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival - follow us for updates!

Did you catch last week's edition of Festival Stor

Did you catch last week's edition of Festival Stories? This video series goes behind-the-scenes to give a personal look at our festival musicians' preparations and performances. This edition follows Paul Watkins, David Shifrin, Gloria Chien, and Soovin Kim as they prepare to perform Olivier Messiaen's "Quartet for the End of Time." ⁠
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Listen as Paul Watkins describes the "extraordinary genesis" of the performing quartet. The full "Festival Story" is out now on Youtube and our website!

The third edition of Festival Stories is officiall

The third edition of Festival Stories is officially out now on YouTube! Link in our bio.⁠
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This episode features world-renowned musicians David Shifrin, Gloria Chien, Soovin Kim, and Paul Watkins. Follow their festival story as they prepare for Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time.” ⁠
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Concert details: Opening Night: From the Big Bang to the End of Time⁠
Saturday, June 11, 6pm at Seligman Performing Arts Center⁠
Program: Olivier Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time⁠
Performing Artists: David Shifrin, Gloria Chien, Soovin Kim, Paul Watkins⁠

Upcoming event from our friends at Detroit Chamber

Upcoming event from our friends at Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings! Their popular Nightnotes event series is this Friday at 7:30 pm, featuring performances from David Jackson, Amy I-Lin Cheng, and Neal Berntsen. Tickets available at the link on the @detchamberwinds website

The Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival brings toge

The Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival brings together the world’s finest musicians to offer extraordinary musical performances and experiences. Our “Festival Stories” are short videos which celebrate and preserve the intimate musical dialogue that is unique to chamber music. ⁠
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Subscribe to our youtube to watch the premiere of the third edition of Festival Stories (link in bio)⁠
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This episode features brilliant commentary about Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time” and features musicians David Shifrin, Gloria Chien, Soovin Kim, and Paul Watkins. The episode concludes with the group’s performance of the piece at the opening of the 2022 Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. ⁠

Read all about this Friday’s third edition of Fe

Read all about this Friday’s third edition of Festival Stories, featuring the performance of Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time.” in our latest email newsletter: https://conta.cc/3tvb5NV.⁠
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Subscribe to our newsletters for:⁠
VIP Access to Concert Details⁠
Special Ticket Offers⁠
Artist Highlights & Special Announcements⁠
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With our newsletter, you’ll also get information about video premieres and exciting upcoming community events! Subscribe at the link in our bio!