BEMIDJI — The Thalea String Quartet will travel across Northern Minnesota this month as part of the Prelude Series of the Lakes Area Music Festival.
Over two weeks, the group will present a mix of classical, contemporary and familiar pieces in a variety of community spaces, like churches, parks, jails, libraries, breweries and more — 18 activities in total. All performances are offered without tickets, but donations are accepted.
Thalea String Quartet will play at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 9, at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa and again at 7:30 p.m. at the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji. The program will include Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Lark” quartet, alongside tango music and eclectic contemporary works by Caroline Shaw and Erwin Schulhoff.
John Taylor Ward, one of the founders of the Lakes Area Music Festival, joined the KAXE Morning Show on Friday, July 7, to talk about the series that provides a taste of what audiences can expect for this year’s 15th annual festival.
“The Thalea quartet first joined us in 2021 and we definitely just fell in love,” Ward said. “They have an amazing approach to programming. They take influences and are comfortable in all sorts of different styles.”
Ward also noted the quartet’s stage presence and their ability to communicate with the audience.
“As classical musicians, we have to overcome an idea that some people have that this music is not for them — that this is something that is for a little elite group of people who know a lot about classical music,” Ward said. “I think something that the Thalea quartet is really great about and something that’s important to the Lakes Area Music Festival is being able to take that music out of the ivory tower and share it with people.”
Ward said keeping the festival going since 2009 happened because of community support. The initial plan included bringing classical music concerts to rural Minnesota, but it grew into a festival based on audience response.
" ... Something that’s important to the Lakes Area Music Festival is being able to take that music out of the ivory tower and share it with people."John Taylor Ward, artistic director, Lakes Area Music Festival
“We realized that we had hit on a need that we didn’t know was there and even some of our audience members didn’t know was there,” Ward said. “ … They have just supported us all the way through and encouraged us to dream big and we have reached so many of those dreams. It’s amazing.”
Over 200 artists from the nation’s top orchestras and opera companies will present more than 50 concerts, educational experiences and community outreach activities in July and August, with the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts in Brainerd serving as home base.
Listen to Ward’s full conversation on the KAXE Morning Show above. For more information about the Thalea Quartet, visit lakesareamusic.org/thalea-string-quartet.
Thalea String Quartet performances
- 2 p.m. Sunday, July 9: Lutheran Church of the Cross, Nisswa.
- 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9: Watermark Art Center, Bemidji.
- 9:30-10 a.m. Tuesday, July 11: “Songs and Stories” at the Brainerd Public Library, Brainerd.
- 10:30 a.m.-noon Tuesday, July 11: Brainerd Memory Café for people with dementia and their families, Journey North Church, Baxter.
- 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 11: Outdoor performance at Roundhouse Brewery, Nisswa.
- 3:30-4:30 p.m. Friday, July 14: Sensory friendly concert for anyone on the autism spectrum or with high sensitivities, Brainerd Public Library, Brainerd. Contact Aly Neistadt for more information at 218-275-5263.
- 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 14: Lyman P. White Memorial Park amphitheater, Brainerd.
- 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15: Ripple Center, Aitkin, joined by John Taylor Ward.
- 2 p.m. Sunday, July 16: Log Church, Crosslake, joined by John Taylor Ward.
