Our 73 college and high school students have returned to their schools and homes, taking with them the musical knowledge they gained along with new friendships. As one student said, “Five weeks of history’s greatest music, with some of the best faculty artists in the country, in a spectacularly beautiful natural setting: what could be better?”

During the season, we offered:

• Six weeks of intense, rigorous education to 73 string and woodwind students from 22 states and three foreign countries.
• Fourteen concerts by our students, both on Madeline Island and in Bayfield, including the popular Bell Street Gallery Happy Hour concerts.
• Six Master Classes providing an opportunity for the public to listen and learn along with our students.
• Community engagements activities featuring our students at the Madeline Island Museum and the Madeline Island Library.
• Eight concerts by our ensembles-in-residence Arianna String Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, Brooklyn Rider, Jupiter String Quartet, and Prairie Winds.

Audience numbers were up this year, as excitement was in the air for such events as the World Premiere of “Schisma” by award-winning composer Caroline Shaw performed by Brooklyn Rider. And it was lights, camera, action when Wisconsin Public Television arrived on campus for five days of filming to create a 60-minute program about Madeline Island Chamber Music, airing in 2019.

Bright and talented student musicians … dedicated and brilliant faculty musicians … exciting concerts … a receptive audience: it all added up to be a wonderful season. We’re already looking forward to summer 2019.

Caroline Shaw is a New York-based musician who performs in solo and collaborative projects. She is the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, which she received in 2013. She is a member of the Grammy-winning Roomful of Teeth and has commissioned pieces for a wide variety of orchestras and ensembles.

The program, which will air in 2019, is part of their Young Performers Initiative, a statewide effort to raise the visibility of the arts, celebrate the creative achievements of Wisconsin’s young people, and support the arts in education.

Madeline Island Chamber Music has commissioned Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw to create a musical work for the esteemed string quartet Brooklyn Rider. The new work will premier at the Clubhouse at 8:00 pm on Friday, June 29. Brooklyn Rider is one of the four professional ensembles-in-residence who will spend a week coaching and teaching student musicians. Caroline Shaw will be on-site for the world premiere and will conduct a post-performance conversation with the audience.

Caroline Shaw is a New York-based musician—vocalist, violinist, composer, and producer—who performs in solo and collaborative projects. She is the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, which she received in 2013. She is a member of the Grammy-winning Roomful of Teeth and has commissioned pieces for a wide variety of orchestras and ensembles.

The commission is in honor of Caroline Marshall, a former Chair of Madeline Island Chamber Music Board of Directors who is being honored for her remarkable and many contributions to the organization.