UW-Eau Claire brings strings together for first combined String Festival

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The Haas Fine Arts Center was filled with violins, violas, cellos, basses and guitars Saturday as the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire hosted its first combined String Festival.

The daylong event invited middle and high school students from Eau Claire, surrounding communities and the Twin Cities to rehearse, take master classes and attend workshops alongside UW-Eau Claire students and guest artists from across the country. The day ended with recitals.

Violin and viola professor Christine Harada Li, said the department previously held separate events — a violin and viola festival, Cello Palooza, bass festival and guitar festival.

“This year we decided to put all of those into one event. So, we have the UX String Festival now,” Harada Li said. “We are all part of one string family.”

Harada Li said she loves seeing young musicians experience the music building and work with college students in sectionals.

“Learning how to create a beautiful tone takes many, many years of practice,” she said. “For me, it’s really important to pass on the knowledge that I’ve gained over the years.”

Luka Vater, a second-year music education major who plays cello, performed in a master class — playing for the group before receiving a mini-lesson from an instructor in front of peers.

“I’m getting feedback, but the entire group is also learning,” Vater said. “They can take those ideas and then implement it into their own playing.”

Vater said performing for critique can be nerve-wracking, but the practice pays off.

“It reminds me why I love to play a string instrument because sometimes it can get a little frustrating,” Vater said. “But at the end of the day, it’s great to come together with people who also share the passion for creating such beautiful and unique music.”

Guest artist Dieter Hennings Yeomans, professor of guitar at the University of Kentucky, led a technique workshop he described as “yoga for your hands” — stretching and exercises building to dexterity and flexibility — and performed in a concert after the master class.

“It’s really inspiring because there’s a lot of talent, there’s a lot of skill,” Yeomans said. “There’s always things that one, as a teacher, learns from the students.”

Yeomans said the community aspect is essential to building a career in music.

“You spend a lot of hours in your practice room by yourself, honing a skill, but then comes the sharing and the community aspect,” he said. “These events are so important, because you are giving the tools to the students to go and meet like-minded peers, make connections that always turn into potential opportunities.”

For Lydia Song, a sophomore at Memorial High School who has played violin for eight years, the day included a rehearsal of Pachelbel’s Canon with conductor Christina Adams and a technique class focused on bow work.

“The biggest takeaway is just relax,” Song said. “If you can’t get it at first, you will be able to get it later.”

Song, who studies with Harada Li and hopes to pursue violin through education or performance, said meeting musicians from across Wisconsin and as far as Texas showed music’s power to connect.

“We love music so much that we can bring so many people together and create music together,” Song said. “Having this every year is a really good experience for if you’re advanced or if you’re just starting.”