Music Institute of Chicago: Alumnus Places First in M-Prize Senior Division, Students Place Second and Third in Junior Division

Aaron Dworkin, Dean

of the University of Michigan

School of Music, Theatre and Dance,

is the Founder of M-Prize

Ryan Meehan of Calidore String Quartet

(blogs.wfmt.com)

Calliope Trio

Music Institute of Chicago

The Calidore String Quartet, including Academy alumnus violinist Ryan Meehan, won the inaugural $100,000 M-Prize, a new chamber music competition hosted by the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance. An ensemble from New York City, Calidore is the 2016 Borletti-Butoni Trust Fellowship recipient, the first American ensemble in the foundation’s history to receive the prestigious career grant. They were appointed to the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two roster for the 2016–19 seasons. The ensemble has also won grand prizes at the Fischoff, Coleman, Chesapeake, and Yellow Springs competitions and captured top prizes at the 2012 ARD Munich International String Quartet Competition and Hamburg International Chamber Music Competition.

 

Academy ensembles also fared well in the M-Prize’s Junior Division: Vibrante String Quartet placed second, winning $3,000, and Calliope Trio placed third, winning $2,000. Coached by Tatyana Stepanova and Paul Vanderwerf, Calliope include Academy students Karisa Chiu (violin, 16, Palatine), Nathan Mo (cello, 17, Rolling Meadows), and Andrew Guo (piano, 17, Chicago).