An integral part of Education programs of the Deer Valley® Music Festival since its founding in 2003, the Emerging Quartets & Composers summer program actually began in 1989. It has had various homes in Utah, including Snowbird as well as Park City, but has always been a project of the Muir String Quartet in partnership with world-renowned composer Joan Tower. For the three-week seminar, two elite emerging string quartets and two exceptional young composers join their established professional counterparts in the Deer Valley area.
- They rehearse and are coached by Muir Quartet members daily.
- They coach Utah students attending the Lyceum Music Festival summer music camp.
- They participate with their mentors in discussions about the string quartet business, including the commissioning of new works.
One unique enticement for young quartets interested in this program is the opportunity to perform world premiere string quartets by up-and-coming composers, who participate in the program under the mentorship of Joan Tower. The two quartets and two composers share what they’ve learned in a final Saturday afternoon concert. In addition to the premieres, the concert includes quartets from the classical string quartet repertoire.
