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SALT LAKE CITY — Members of a local instrumental group are looking forward to their chance to compete at the national level.
The Rosco String Quartet, from the University of Utah, will be participating in the Music Teachers National Association's National Chamber Music Competition in Chicago from March 21-24. The group came together to win state and regional competitions to qualify for the national competition.
“We’ve put a lot of heart into what we do and I think that’s what makes us stand out,” said cellist Lauren Posey. “We’re not perfect, but we just enjoy what we do.”
The group formed in 2012 and is the graduate quartet for the U. The university always has a graduate quartet that performs locally and at school functions, but Posey thinks this is the first time it has advanced to the national competition.
One of the quartet's strengths is the unity of its members, she said. Participating in the string quartet can be difficult because all of the members are also dedicating time to their solo playing, but they still manage to succeed at traveling and practicing together. The group is running a fundraiser on Kickstarter to help cover travel costs*.
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“It’s sort of hard in music competitions because it’s not like whoever goes fastest wins," she said. "We just really want to play to the best of our ability and most importantly put some character into our music and help the judges see how we want to prepare the pieces we’re playing.”
The Rosco String Quartet will also be offering a free concert as part of the Temple Square concert series this weekend beginning at 7:30 Saturday evening in the Assembly Hall.
*KSL.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does KSL.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
