The Waverly Chamber Music Series is pleased to announce the fourth concert in their 2017-18 inaugural season featuring The WolfGang.

The WolfGang performs instrumental chamber music from the time of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, playing on musical instruments of the type that were used during Mozart’s life. The fortepiano is a replica of a Stein fortepiano. The violin, viola and cello are either originals from the 18th century or are carefully modeled after 18th century instruments. The keyed flutes are copies of classical keyed flutes made by some of the great woodwind makers of the late 18th century. A Twin-Cities based ensemble, The WolfGang has been performing, recording, and touring for over 22 years in a style that “fits” the Mozart era.
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For its Waverly Chamber Music Series debut, The WolfGang combines two curious quartets by Giuseppe Cambini with two magnificent trios by Franz Josef Haydn, topped off by a miracle: a new transcription by The WolfGang's flutist Paul Jacobson of Haydn’s MiracleSymphony, No. 96 in D Major. This will perhaps also be topped off with one of the groups magical favorites: the overture from Zauberflöte, also transcribed for The WolfGang by Paul.
 
Haydn’s “Miracle” Symphony earned its name because of a somewhat miraculous event at its premier performance in London. (The remarkable nature of this event will be revealed at the March 4th.) The symphony was composed and premiered in 1791, the same year as Mozart’s opera Die Zauberflöte (“The Magic Flute”), and, sadly, as Mozart’s untimely death.
 
The WolfGang will perform March 4, 2018 at 2:00 PM in the Narthex of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School. The concert is free and open to the public.

Here's what a few of our board members had to say about the concert:

"Having Julia, Hannah, Ross, and Sean here to start the season was truly amazing! They are such incredible performers and the crowd welcomed them enthusiastically. What a great kick-off concert!" - Eric

"The concert was outstanding! The performances were excellent, the pieces performed were gorgeous, and the large audience's response was very enthusiastic. Bravo to all!" - Ted

​"It was gratifying to see so many community members come together to see a wonderful group of talented musicians. The selections they chose for that day were complex and interesting; the group was engaging and dynamic. To see the community and musicians engaged in conversation after the concert really reaffirmed for me that the WCMS really is a treasure." - Penni

"The UNI Faculty Piano Quartet presented an intensely beautiful program, playing with unforgettable precision and passion. Within the gently live acoustic of the St. Paul's Narthex, we enjoyed an open, airy atmosphere, intimate enough to feel as one with the performers and fellow full-house audience members. This community vibe extended into a warm post-concert reception where audience and performers lingered and conversed freely over tasteful refreshments. An exceptional experience not to be missed, this is the beginning of something sensational." - Jennifer

The WCMS second concert of the 2017-18 season will feature Lumina, a professional women's ensemble based in the Twin Cities. Lumina is dedicated to the mystery, beauty, and hope inherent in music. and their programming draws from a rich well of musical sources including Medieval chants, Renaissance motets, folk song traditions, and works by living and local composers. 

With a full schedule for 2017 and 2018,  Waverly is the second stop in the ensemble's season of performances and their only Iowa appearance! 

The performers of Lumina include Lina Kachelmeier, Artistic Director and Alto; Angela Grundstad, Soprano; Clara Osowski, Alto; and Kim Sueoka, Soprano. 

For more information on Lumina and its members, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our emails*. Also check out Lumina's website for videos, photos, and audio recordings! 
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*To subscribe to emails from the WCMS, email us at waverlychambermusic@gmail.com with the subject line "Email Subscriber," along with your first and last name. 

The WCMS Presents Lumina
When: Sunday, November 19th, 2017 | 2:00 pm
Where: St. Paul's Lutheran Church & School
301 First St. NW, Waverly, IA 50677

This and all WCMS concerts are completely free and open to the public.

RSVP for the event and receive reminders here. 

Dr. Ted Reuter has lived in Waverly and has served as a music faculty member at Wartburg College for the past 28 years. Ted is a Professor of Piano and teaches music history.

Ted is an original member of the former Wartburg Castle Chamber Series and is excited to continue to help bring outstanding chamber music to the Waverly community as a member of the WCMS board. Ted looks forward to utilizing his friendships with many outstanding music professionals throughout the region and bringing his love and passion for chamber music to the board.

Though Ted has too many favorite pieces of chamber music to choose just one, he is certain that the performances the WCMS has scheduled will provide an excellent, diverse musical experience for the Waverly and Cedar Valley community.

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Dr. Jennifer Larson has lived in Waverly for the past 10 years and works as an Associate Professor of Music (Voice) at Wartburg College.

“As a performer/educator with a passion for the performing arts and their proven substantial benefit to individuals and communities, I am thrilled to be a part of an organization of professionals working to bring a steady offering of high quality musical experiences to the communities of the Cedar Valley,” said Jennifer.

Jennifer’s favorite piece of chamber music is the one she’s working on at any given time! In general, she really loves and enjoys music that awakens the intellect and erases boundaries between people.

About what she is most excited about with the WCMS, Jennifer said, “I get goosebumps thinking about the way these concerts will feed the seasoned lover of ‘classical’ chamber music. My vision and hope is that the WCMS concert experiences will lift individuals to a better version of themselves, and knit together the good people of Waverly and our surrounding communities as we engage in and strengthen human connections with one another.”

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I have lived in Waverly for 23 years during which I have raised two children and come to deeply appreciate the experience of living in a close-knit community. I have spent my career as a researcher and professor of ethnomusicology teaching at Wartburg College. Music is an amazing aspect of human expression, whether one is producing or listening to its performance. Being involved in a project where live music is offered to the community is deeply important to me and is an extension of the work I do every day.

Aside from my work in music, in 2011 I began a small business based on my graphic designs. Those skills and resources, as well as what I have learned from running a small business, allow me to contribute to the look and “face” of the series.

I adore so many kinds of music. I love chamber music because it allows for a closer relationship between performer(s) and audience. The performance space is more intimate and the response to the music can be so different compared to a larger concert hall. I also love that chamber music can offer music played by an incredible variety of instruments/voices. I am excited that the first season of the WCMS will highlight this incredible variety. I am also so happy to be part of a project that features the incredible talents and generosity of professional musicians in the Waverly, the Cedar Valley, and our neighboring states.

We are surrounded by world-renowned performers who, through the series, will be offering our community an amazing opportunity to experience great music and powerful artistry.

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Dr. Eric Wachmann was one of the original founding members of the organization and currently serves as the WCMS’ Artistic Director. Eric is a Professor of Music at Wartburg College where he teaches Clarinet, Shakuhachi, and Music Theory. He and his family have lived in Waverly for the past 24 years.
 
Eric had this to say about his involvement and excitement about the WCMS, “As a musician, and avid chamber performer, I have a unique interest in having a chamber series in the Waverly community. A chamber series focused on engaging the Waverly and Cedar Valley community will add greatly to the arts offerings already in place.”
 
About what he is most looking forward to in the upcoming WCMS season, Eric said, “I am most excited about having The WolfGang perform. They are a baroque ensemble from St. Paul, MN and this will be the first time that I can remember any performance of baroque music or baroque instruments taking place in the Cedar Valley!”
 
Finally, about his favorite piece of chamber music to perform or listen to, Eric said, “The Mozart Clarinet Quintet. Cliche, yes. But also beautiful music!”