Sable Riley
Staff Writer
John M. Long School of Music will be presenting QThree, a guest artist chamber music group, at John M. Long Hall on Friday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m.
The concert will be held in the choir room and is free to all students, as well as the public.
QThree is an all-female musical trio, a subset of the larger new musical ensemble called Quorum. Members of the trio include Kimberly Cole Luevano, clarinet; Carolyn Stuart, violin; and Midori Koga, piano.
The group’s concert at Troy will be one stop of its four-concert tour, visiting music programs at the University of Alabama, UAB, Troy and Florida State University.
The trio debuted in 2015 and has performed at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, musical festivals and universities throughout North America.
The trio is well-known as a group. However, individual members of the group are nationally acclaimed solo performers who have participated in numerous other musical groups and projects.
Luevano, a freelance musician originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is currently a company performing artist and associate professor of clarinet at the University of North Texas.
Prior to her career at the University of North Texas, Luevano
taught at the Eastern Michigan University as a professor of clarinet for 15 years.
Luevano said that it can be difficult at times because they live in different places.
“We have had to develop innovative rehearsal and preparation techniques,” Luevano said. “We rely on much individual preparation and study to be as efficient in rehearsals as possible.”
Luevano said that QThree hopes to engage its audience with modern music by composers who are still alive.
“We hope to inspire and motivate music students to pursue their own dreams, forming chamber groups and performing to their utmost capabilities,” Luevano said. “We would be thrilled to have audience members tell us they’ve never heard anything like our program, that they want to hear more.”
Midori Koga, pianist, has been featured as a soloist and chamber musician in countries around the world. Koga currently teaches at the University of Toronto as associate professor of piano.
Luevano and Koga are members of another trio: Haven, with soprano Lindsay Kesselman. This group regularly records music and tours North America.
Carolyn Stuart, violinist, works as an associate professor of violin at the University of South Florida.
“We love to perform together
because we believe we bring out the best in each other,” Luevano said.
Timothy Phillips, associate professor of clarinet at Troy University, knew Luevano and accepted her offer for QThree to visit Troy along its tour.
In addition to the concert, Phillips said, Luevano will also be leading a Master class that day at Long Hall.
Students will have the opportunity to perform a solo piece for her, and other students will be there to watch and listen to Luevano teach students.
“It will be really interesting music,” Phillips said. He also said that the music played at the concert will be brand new.
Phillips said that he knows all three of the performing musicians are talented.
“I have the highest respect for them,” Phillips said. “They are very, very good. They are world-class.”
Phillips said that he expects a modern sound from their music that he believes will resonate with a young audience.
“Our students, or anybody who is young and involved in the world, are acquainted with contemporary music because (they) hear it all the time on TV, in movies and on the radio,” Phillips said.
“You have such a sophisticated sense of music, and this music they are going to play is like this language that you are so used to hearing all the time, so I think it’s something that my students really connect with every time they hear contemporary music.”
Phillips said that he is hoping for a good turnout, especially by music students.
“I am very thrilled to have them,” Phillips said. “I told many of my students this week: ‘I have been looking forward to this concert for a year.’ It’s going to rock.”
