University of Miami String Quartet Brings Fine Music to the Key

The University of Miami Stamps String Quartet perform at the Key Biscayne Community Center. (Key News via Maria Iriondo)

BY MARIA IRIONDO Key News Contributor

Key Biscayne residents were blessed with a free evening of live classical music courtesy of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music Sunday, Oct. 27.

The Stamps String Quartet, formed by Ruth Stokes on cello, Wynne Owre on viola and violinists Soohyun Chae and Lydia Newton filled the Community Center’s Island room with delightful compositions by Sergei Prokofiev, Arvo Pãrt and Béla Bartock.

The select group of young musicians began their performance with Prokofiev’s symphony No. 2, a Russian folk tune played in three movements: allegro moderato, andante assai and allegro ben marcato. A flawless rendition that would have made the composer himself very proud. 

Hailing from as far as Texas, Minnesota and Mississippi, it is no surprise that these sophomore musicians are the proud recipients of the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation scholarship for their immense talent and commitment to their craft is evident in every note played.

“We select these students entirely on merit,” explains Jodi Levitz, professor of viola at the Frost School of Music and artistic director of the Stamps Ensembles which also includes a freshman wood quintet, a junior jazz quintet and a senior brass quintet. “They must be outstanding instrumentalists, demonstrate the qualities to be an effective chamber music musician, and meet the rigorous standards of admission to the University of Miami.”

Stokes, who’s from Hugo, Minnesota, began playing the cello at the age of six. It was in her junior year of high school when she decided to pursue a career in music. Chae, from Lubbock, Texas, comes from a family of musicians. His father, an active music minister and choir director and his mother, a choir member who also played the flute noticed his early interest in music when, as a toddler, he would fiddle on their electric piano. 

Newton, from Moss Point, Mississippi, began playing at the age of four when her older brother started violin. She would hum along during his lessons, pretending she could read music. She followed her passion, but it wasn’t always easy. “As I grew older and improved, it became harder to find violin instructors, so I always had to travel. In high school I had the opportunity to take lessons via Skype with Sonja Foster of Atlanta, Georgia.”

The enchanting evening ended with a composition introduced by Chae, who provided insight on Bartock’s Hungarian folk tunes of three movements and how the development of this same piece led to the composer’s unique style.

Key Biscayne resident Gloria Kahn was delighted with the performance. “We’re very lucky to have such talent visit our island.”

The Stamps String Quartet will be playing a free concert at Clarks Hall at the University of Miami Nov. 10, and Levitz will be giving a talk and a viola performance Dec. 6 for a pre-Christmas celebration at the Key Biscayne Community Center.