If you've been by the Anderson Arts Center, you might have heard beautiful music drifting up from the bottom level of the old brick building.  Sounds of Carolina Music Academy has been at the Anderson Arts Center for 4 years now and they are located across from the Bay3 Gallery where I show my work. I was excited to attend one of the studio's first concerts with my family. 

The concert was upstairs in the main gallery, with a backdrop of Al Stine's brilliant watercolors.  I showed some of my smaller strings-themed works on the tables and two of my large strings-themed works at the entrance to the main gallery.  

The night started with a reception. The quartet started out with two movements from Mozart's Quartet No 4.  They played the well-known "The Blue Danube," followed by "Death and the Maiden."  ( I was afraid that Chris might sing along to that one since he performed it at a recital in college! ) Then, they played another song by Franz Schubert, "Rosemunde." 

We listened to two animal-themed pieces, "The Bird," by Haydn, and "The Swan" from "Carnival of the Animals." During "The Swan," Ballerina Callie Williamson danced en pointe in front of the quartet.  Her performance was graceful and beautiful.

The quartet closed with two pieces from Beethoven, Op. 18 no 4 and Op. 59 no 1. I loved listening to Caitlin and her quartet perform the masterworks.  I often hear her working with students in her music studio across the hall from Bay 3 Gallery, but I had never gotten the chance to hear her perform in a concert setting.

The performers in the quartet were: Caitlin Whitehouse and Charlotte Crosmer on violin, Valentina Crnjak on cello, and Alex Spainhour from Bernhardt House of Violins playing the viola.

Caitlin told us that this might be the first in a concert series.  I'm so excited for their next concert!

viola by jamie hansen

caitlin and jamie

jamie hansen