community

Community Events

In 2022, WWCMF inaugurated the Emerging Artist Quartet Fellowship with the goal of sharpening our community engagement activities while offering an emerging quartet the opportunity to gain valuable experience making music in the Walla Walla community with the full musical and logistical support of the Festival.

We are pleased to welcome Ann Arbor-based saxophone quartet, Cerus Quartet, as the 2024 WWCMF Emerging Artist Quartet Fellows. Cerus Quartet brings exquisite artistry and a passion for community connection through music. During their residency in Walla Walla, Cerus Quartet will perform for hundreds of kids in the Walla Walla school system, presenting their programs bilingually in English and Spanish. Their performances provide young people gateway exposure to classical music, and reinforce the importance of representation in musical ensembles and concert repertoire.

Part of the energy and excitement of WWCMF comes from its whirlwind schedule. Musicians who play an open rehearsal in the morning often play a kids' concert in the afternoon before playing a Tasting Music or Collage performance in the evening. It’s definitely exciting, but it prevents lingering, doubling back, adjusting and improving the impact of individual outreach events in real-time, particularly where vulnerable, marginalized or underserved populations are concerned. The Emerging Artist Quartet Fellowship addresses this need by directing sustained energy toward these essential community events ensuring that our impact lives up to the breadth and variety of festival programming.

Come see Cerus Quartet kick off the Portrait of an Artist Series (and the whole 2024 Festival!) on Thursday June 6 at Reininger Winery, and they will tell you first hand about their experiences performing throughout the Walla Walla community.