McDuffie String Ensemble
By Michael Johns
On Sunday, March 9, 5:00 pm, USCB Chamber Music presents its fourth concert of the season, featuring the fewest works on any concert this year performed by the greatest number of musicians ever to play in the entirety of its 45 seasons. Music Director, pianist, and host Andrew Armstrong has invited frequent guest violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti to return to the Center for the Arts but this time in her dual role as internationally acclaimed violinist and Director of the McDuffie Center String Ensemble from Mercer University’s Townsend School of Music. Andy, Amy and a McDuffie Center string quartet will begin the program with Ernest Chausson’s monumental Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet. For the second half the ensemble will be increased to chamber orchestra size for works by two iconic composers, Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi. Both composers wrote hundreds of concertos; on March 9th you will hear two of their most beloved: Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major and Vivaldi’s“Spring” and “Winter” from Le Quatro Stagioni (The Four Seasons). A compelling mix of legendary music brought to life with professional expertise and youthful vigor is a combination that guarantees a memorable concert experience not soon forgotten.
Ernest Chausson was a meticulous and careful composer who left only 39 published
Amy Schwartz Moretti
scores, but is recognized as a leading figure in the world of late nineteenth-century French music. Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet is a three-way conversation between the quartet and two soloists. Its symphony-size four movements, organically related through emotional intensity and shared motives, ebbs and flows from highs of dramatic passion to lows of chilling emptiness. Its premiere in 1892 was one of the great triumphs of Chausson’s career. Johann Sebastian Bach worked his way up the employment ladder from one position to another. He learned early that composing a work to honor a potential employer was a tried-and-true method for showing off skill and gaining favor. He wrote a set of six instrumental compositions for the Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt which have come down to us as the Brandenburg Concertos. No. 3 in G Major is for three solo trios of violins, violas, and cellos, plus accompaniment. The openingmovement hums with irresistible forward motion while the closing movement’s rapid-fire notes, racing in waves across the ensemble, create an affect akin to joyous exuberance. The concert concludes with Antonio Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Winter” concertos from The Four Seasons. Three centuries after their composition they retain their power to entertain and enlighten and are considered among the greatest compositions of the Baroque, or for that matter, any era.
Violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti has a musical career of broad versatility, being equally adaptable as soloist, chamber musician, concertmaster, and educator. Before becoming the inaugural Director of Mercer University’s McDuffie Center for Strings, she was concertmaster of the Florida Orchestra and Oregon Symphony, guest concertmaster of the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Houston, Pittsburgh and the festival orchestras of Brevard, Colorado, and Grand Teton. Recognized as a deeply expressive artist, Moretti enjoys the opportunity to travel and perform concerts around the world. Solo performances, recordings, and frequent string quartet appearances with the Ehnes Quartet dot her schedule now and into the future. Leading by example, her contributions to the advancement of musical-arts culture have been recognized across the country, from the Cleveland Institute Alumni Achievement Award, San Francisco Conservatory of Music Fanfare Award, to the 2022 Macon Arts Alliance Cultural Awards, given to an individual who has made significant contributions to the cultural life of Central Georgia. Director of the McDuffie Center since 2007, Moretti holds the Caroline Paul King Chair and has developed and curates the Fabian Concert Series.
Andrew Armstrong
The Robert McDuffie Center for Strings prepares exceptional musicians for success in the real world. After 10 years of graduates matriculating into the professional classical-music ranks, McDuffie students have won top prizes in international competitions in the US, Europe, and Asia, joined leading orchestras around the world, and performed new music with established and up-and-coming chamber groups. The McDuffie Center String Ensemble is comprised of undergraduate students and Artist Diploma candidates and has performed at venues across the country including Carnegie Hall.
Artistic Director, pianist, and host Andrew Armstrong hardly needs introduction. He is a pianist in the midst of a major performing career fueled with artistic curiosity and insightful musical intuition supported by rock-solid technique. Andy brings a fresh look to the concert experience that is thoughtful and inspiring and believes to his core that music is a universal language for everyone. He has been an indefatigable advocate for this series, playing pop-up home-concerts throughout Beaufort county and leaving no ear untuned to the joys of classical music.
Illustrious music performed by two mature artists at the height of their careers and rising stars that are the future of acoustic classical music performance! Seats for the March 9th concert are limited. If you cannot be in the hall, join us virtually with live-stream viewing that offers the concert experience from the comfort of your home. All virtual concerts are professionally produced, creating great viewing and listening opportunities. All in-person and virtual ticket holders will have access to the OnDemand recording four days after the concert and available to view at your leisure for three weeks. For concert, artist, event, and ticket information, go to www.uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-208-8246, Monday through Friday. USCB Chamber Music’s Sunday, March 9, 2025, at 5:00 pm will be at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort, in the downtown historic district.
