Viridian Strings is returning to Northern Michigan for the summer.
Every time the ensemble known as Viridian Strings performs in northern Michigan, they have a slightly different configuration.
The group was founded by Interlochen Arts Academy alums and northern Michigan natives Joe Skerik (viola) and Kyle Stachnik (cello).
Each summer, Joe and Kyle invite their good friends and fellow professional musicians to join them in northern Michigan for a few days.
It's a vacation as well as a chance to play chamber music together.
This week, they’ve assembled a piano quintet that includes violinist Nathan Meltzer, double bassist Nina Bernat and pianist Umi Garrett.
The program includes music of Clara Schumann and Ralph Vaughan Williams as well as Franz Schubert’s Trout Quintet.
Pianist Umi Garrett is back for a second summer, having performed with Viridian in 2025 for the first time.
"Honestly, it's been one of my favorite chamber music experiences in my whole life," she said.
Violinist Nathan Meltzer is also returning for his second summer with Viridian.
"It was the highlight of last summer, and I'm thrilled to be back," he said.
Double bassist Nina Bernat is the only member of the quintet performing with Viridian for the first time. She has played with both Umi Garrett and Nathan Meltzer in other chamber music ensembles and settings, but this is her first collaboration with this specific group of musicians.
The quintet is the relatively unusual configuration of violin, viola, cello, double bass and piano. There are relatively few pieces written for this particular configuration, and Viridian is playing two of them this weekend: Franz Schubert's "Trout" Quintet and the Piano Quintet in C minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
As a double bassist, Bernat says she's called upon to play both of these pieces with some frequency. In fact, this weekend is just the first of multiple "Trout" Quintet performances she has lined up this summer.
"It's always a pleasure," she said. "And with different groups of people, it's always so different."
You can hear this piano quintet version of Viridian Strings perform music of Clara Schumann, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Franz Schubert Friday night in Frankfort at Oliver Art Center and Saturday night at the Dennos Museum in Traverse City.
Music performed in Studio A
Franz Schubert, Piano Quintet in A major: III. Scherzo - Presto
Ralph Vaughan Williams. Piano Quintet in C major: I. Allegro con fuoco
Jack Conners engineered this edition of Studio A.
We had production support from Emma Stadelmann.
