Four stellar string musicians will present a plethora of sounds and styles in “Greatest Hits of the String Quartet”

Muskegon, Michigan, June 1, 2022—Arturo Ziraldo is enthusiastic about his upcoming performance featuring the Greatest Hits of the String Quartet, to be held at 7:30pm Friday, June 17 at The Block in downtown Muskegon.

Normally, a so-called “chamber music” program features complete, multi-movement works, often from two or three different periods. Ziraldo wanted to offer something different. His program instead will feature single movements from no less than 11 composers—including Bartók, Beethoven, Mozart, Ravel, and Shostakovich—to name a few.

“It’s not just random single movements; we’ve effectively created three ‘pieces’ made up of separate works,” explains Ziraldo, Principal Violist of West Michigan Symphony. The first is a pairing of movements from quartets by Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, and Bartók; the second includes Dvòřak, Beethoven, and Hindemith; and the final spans Mendelssohn, Walton, Ravel, and Shostakovich.

The concept reflects Ziraldo’s personality: imaginative, charismatic, and engaging. Never the shrinking violet, he is equally at home leading his viola section in the orchestra, performing as a concerto soloist (as he does later this month with conductor Scott Speck and the West Michigan Symphony), or spearheading a striking program of string music with three of his colleagues.  For his Block appearance, he will share the stage with two WMS musicians—first violinist Maya Shiraishi and Associate Principal Cellist Igor Cetkovic—along with Grammy-nominated, multiple prizewinning violinist Jasmine Lin.

Arturo Ziraldo has performed with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; the Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Seattle symphonies; Orquesta Filarmonica de Jalisco; and the Mainzer Virtuosi, among others. Along with WMS, he is the founder of the Heartside Harmony Chamber Music Society, Principal Violist of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and has played as a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony and at the Baroque on Beaver festival. He maintains a private studio and is a regular judge of the semi-final round of the Stulberg Competition.

Called “a magnificent player with superb tone and strong interpretive powers” by American Record Guide and “a violinist of remarkable intensity” by the Chicago Tribune, Jasmine Lin is a member of Formosa Quartet and Trio Voce and teaches at Roosevelt University and Music Institute of Chicago. A prizewinner in both the Naumburg and Paganini competitions, she received a Grammy nomination as part of Chicago Chamber Musician’s CD of works for winds and strings by Mozart. She loves to travel; a particularly memorable trip took her into the heart of the Amazon jungle. Her other hobbies include poetry, salsa dancing, and studying German.

Maya Shiraishi began violin studies at age four in her native Hiroshima. After completing undergraduate studies at Tokyo College of Music, she moved to Chicago to attend Roosevelt University’s College of Performing Arts, where she studied with Jasmine Lin. While at Roosevelt, Maya performed with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the nation’s premier training program for young professional musicians. Since then, she has been an active musician holding positions with West Michigan Symphony and Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra and performing with the Chicago Philharmonic, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, and South Bend Symphony. She currently lives in Chicago where she enjoys access to great arts—and pours out love to her numerous houseplants.

A native of Serbia, Igor Cetkovic has performed with the Belgrade and Bergen philharmonics, the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and as principal cellist of the Serbian Chamber Orchestra and St. George Strings. He has appeared as a soloist with the Yugoslav Army Orchestra; the St. George Strings; and the Kalamazoo, Saginaw Bay, and Albion symphonies.  In addition to WMS, Cetkovic is artist-in-residence and principal cellist of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, principal cellist of the Saginaw Bay Symphony, and a member of the Burdick-Thorne String Quartet. Igor is also co-founder and artistic director of the Michigan Princess Classical Concert Series in Grand Ledge, inviting musicians from all over the world to perform little-known chamber works.

Single tickets are priced at $40 for table seats, $28 for regular seats, and, $10 for students with ID. To order, call 231.726.3231, visit www.TheBlockWestMichigan.org, or in person at The Block, 360 W. Western Avenue, Muskegon. Audience members must present proof of vaccination or a “Symphony Safe” slip-on bracelet prior to admission. Unvaccinated patrons will be admitted with a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of each performance. Masks are currently recommended but not required.