Join us for our 2026-27 season!​

All concerts take place at 2 p.m. in the Narthex of St. Paul's Lutheran Church & School, located at 301 1st St. NW in Waverly, IA.
Free admission for all shows.

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Pro Arte
​Sunday, October 4, 2026

​The Pro Arte String Quartet was founded by Alphonse Onnou in Brussels in 1912. After becoming the Court Quartet to Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, the quartet began the first of many international tours in 1919. After the First World War it became famous for the performance of modern music and for its extensive recordings of Haydn. The composers Bartók, Milhaud and Honegger entrusted to the ensemble new works to premiere. The Pro Arte Quartet made its American debut in 1926 in New York and returned for 30 tours to the United States, often under the auspices of the chamber music patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge.

While touring in Wisconsin in 1941, they were offered permanent residency. In 1944, following the disbanding of the Kolisch Quartet, Rudolf Kolisch took up leadership of the Pro Arte in 1944, combined with a Wisconsin Professorship. In 1946, Robert Maas became the original cellist in the newly formed Paganini
Quartet. In 1947, violist Germain Prevost, the last of the original members, resigned. In the late 1950s, the Pro Arte Quartet became members of the University's School of Music faculty in addition to being artists-in-residence.

Gao Hong, pipa & Tony Ross, cello
​Sunday, November 8, 2026

Gao Hong is a 2025 Transglobal World Music Hall of Fame inductee, pipa master, composer, educator, and improviser. A graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music, she has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian, Teatro Colón, and festivals across Europe, Australia, and South America. She has appeared as soloist with the Royal Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and many others worldwide.
Anthony Ross has led the Minnesota Orchestra's cello section since 1991, appearing as soloist under Osmo Vänskä, Edo de Waart, and Eiji Oue in the standard cello repertoire as well as acclaimed new works by Daugherty, MacMillan, and Moravec. Previously principal cello of the Rochester Philharmonic under David Zinman, he has also performed as concerto soloist with the Moscow State Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, and numerous regional orchestras.

Belladonna
Sunday, December 20, 2026

Formed in 1993, Belladonna — Barbara Weiss (harpsichord), Cléa Galhano (recorder), Margaret Humphrey (baroque violin), and Rebecca Humphrey (baroque cello) — brings a distinctive voice to Baroque repertoire, shaped by their collective backgrounds in Latin, folk, rock, and experimental jazz. The quartet has been featured on NPR's Performance Today, WGBH, and the syndicated program Harmonia, and has performed for the Seattle Early Music Guild, Renaissance and Baroque Society, and Early Music Now, with a New York debut at Merkin Hall and tours to Canada, Brazil, and Europe. Their recordings include the critically acclaimed Folias Festivas and Gathering, a collaboration with pipa master Gao Hong. Belladonna served as a 10-year artist-in-residence for the Schubert Club of St. Paul and as Class Notes Artists in Residence for Minnesota Public Radio.

Clare Longendyke, piano
​Sunday, January 10, 2027

Clare Longendyke is a pianist, chamber musician, and fearless advocate for new music known for "artistic ferocity that captivated and astonished listeners" (Waverly Newspapers). Her programs pair beloved composers — Beethoven, Debussy, the Schumanns, Amy Beach — with contemporary voices shaping classical music's future. She has commissioned over 30 new works and performed more than 250 world premieres.

The Neave Trio
​Sunday, February 7, 2027

Twice GRAMMY®-nominated, the Neave Trio brings fiery connection and shared storytelling to chamber music, praised by BBC Music Magazine for balancing "passion with sensitivity and grace." Their recordings have been named among the year's best by The New York Times and BBC Radio 3, with Gramophone calling their performances "thrilling" and "electrifying." Formed in 2010, the Trio has performed at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian, and venues across Europe, Japan, and Russia, while championing living composers and building lasting connections with communities through education and outreach.

Aspen Trio
​Sunday, March 14, 2027

The Aspen String Trio is among the rare professional string trios performing and touring today, celebrated for visionary programming and virtuoso performances delivered with humor and insight. Their repertoire spans the complete trios of Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert alongside major works by Dohnanyi, Hindemith, Martinů, Villa-Lobos, Ysaÿe, and others. Signature programs include a Goldberg Variations lecture recital; Remembered Voices, featuring composers suppressed by the Nazi regime; a pairing of John Harbison's new trio with Mozart's K563 Divertimento; and an introduction of Mieczysław Weinberg's rediscovered String Trio during his centennial year.

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The 2025-26 WCMS season is supported by the Max & Helen Guernsey Charitable Foundation and the Marvin & Helen Schumacher Family Fund.