The Poiesis Quartet won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and, in  2024, joined the North American roster of the Concert Artist Guild by winning the Louis & Susan Meisel Competition. Recent graduates of the Oberlin Conservatory, Poiesis are now the Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying under the Ariel Quartet.

More important to you, dear audience, is that Poiesis is the 2025 WWCMF Emerging Artist Quartet, following in the footsteps of Ivalas Quartet, masso and Cerus Quartet as the fourth group to undertake this position. During their Walla Walla residency, they will play for nearly 2,000 youngsters in the Walla Walla Public Schools, presenting in both English and Spanish.

The word Poiesis comes from the Ancient Greek verb, “to make” or “create,” which in turn shares a root with the modern English word, “poetry.” As a string quartet made up of inter- and multi-disciplinary young artists, the Poiesis Quartet seeks to program music of all styles and genres and expand the traditional quartet setting with an emphasis on platforming works by emerging and underrepresented composers. Poiesis strives to create unique moments of synchronicity, sensitivity, and verve in each performance.

And according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “Poiesis” occurs about 0.08 times per million words in modern written English. So, one in a million doesn’t begin to describe tonight’s performance!

All selections will be announced from the stage.

Artists: Poiesis Quartet: Max Ball, violin; Jasper de Boor, viola; Adalus Low-Manzini, cello; Sarah Ying Ma, violin

WWCMF audiences have thrilled to high-flying performances of pianist Xiaohui Yang these past few seasons. In fact, in her debut season of 2022, she earned a coveted WWCMF MVP award for outstanding artistry, fortitude and positive attitude amid circumstances that would have wilted a lesser musician. I think she was in something like 10 consecutive hours of rehearsal on her first day, capped by a Portrait performance with cellist Meta Weiss. Her only break that day was when we brought her a sandwich from Graze (solid sandwich!), which she ate sitting at her piano bench between pieces.

In addition to her WWCMF MVP award, Xiaohui won the 2017 Naumburg International Piano Competition, and has been featured in performances throughout four continents, including in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Ozawa Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Seoul Arts Center. And she has of course performed in the middle production room of Pepper Bridge Winery, site of that marathon first day a few years ago, and site of tonight’s performance.

All selections will be announced from the stage.

Artist: Xiaohui Yang, piano

Violinist Svend Rønning has been a musical force (for good!) in the PNW for many, many years. In addition to his position as Artistic Director of the Second City Chamber Series in Tacoma, WA, Svend is also the concertmaster of Symphony Tacoma and is Professor of Violin at Pacific Lutheran University.

Tonight he makes his long overdue WWCMF debut in a program of contrasts highlighting an unexpected connection between that most musical of cities, Vienna, Austria and the city of tinsel, Hollywood, California.

All selections will be announced from the stage.

Artists: Ronaldo Rolim, piano; Svend Rønning, violin

Tubist Paul Mergen served a distinguished career in the United States Marine Band, “The President’s Own,” in Washington, DC. He played for State dinners at the White House, memorial services and funerals at Arlington National Cemetery and numerous tours to every corner of our vast nation. Paul is part of a more than two-century tradition that began with an act of Congress establishing the band in 1798, thus making it the oldest professional musical organization in the US. Paul has seen some things… but they’re mostly all classified. So, we’ll content ourselves with the parts he can share, which is plenty!

You might wonder how many times Paul has played our national anthem, The Stars and Stripes Forever or The Washington Post March. We’ll find out! And you might wonder what a tuba is doing all by itself, center stage at a chamber music festival. Of that, I am certain you will find with great pleasure exactly why. His repertoire spans devotional early music to modern experimental music. Paul is a musician of the highest order. And he outranks me. And he was my college roommate and best man. You’re in for a treat!

All selections will be announced from the stage.

Artists: Paul Mergen, tuba; TBD, piano