National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $27 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s first major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019. Included in this announcement is a Challenge America grant of $10,000 to the Quad City Symphony Orchestra for KAIA String Quartet Residency Challenge America grants support projects that extend the reach of the arts to under served populations—those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.
“The arts enhance our communities and our lives, and we look forward to seeing these projects take place throughout the country, giving Americans opportunities to learn, to create, to heal, and to celebrate,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Kaia String Quartet will perform on Sunday March 31, 2019 at the Boys and Girls Club of the Mississippi Valley Teen Center in Moline. The Quartet will perform four works by Mexican composers: Carlos Chávez’s String Quartet #3, Miguel Bernal Jimenez’s Cuarteto Virreinal, Silvestre Revueltas’ String Quartet #2, and Javier Alvarez’s Metro Chabacano. A post-concert reception will follow the performance.
The Quartet will participate in community engagement and education opportunities in local schools and with Club members, including appearances at Lincoln-Irving Elementary, a bi-lingual school, and Willard Elementary, both of which serve Floreciente Neighborhood students.
In addition to its partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, the QCSO has partnered with the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to promote the event to the broader Latino community and to provide discounted tickets through their member businesses. The concert will also impact the neighborhood directly because a portion of the ticket price will benefit the Club and donations will be requested at the event for Club programs.
“We are honored to have the support of the NEA for this impactful programming and are excited to connect in new ways with our Quad Cities community,” said QCSO Executive Director Brian Baxter.
This concert, and all QCSO Signature Series performances, are presented in partnership with WVIK Quad Cities-NPR radio, who will broadcast the recording of the performance, and will broadcast an interview with the musicians from the Quartet.
The Kaia String Quartet performance is also part of the QCSO’s larger Masterworks orchestra performance taking place on the following weekend featuring Carlos Chávez’s Sinfonía india. This concert is also presented in partnership with the Hispanic Chamber and will include complimentary tickets through our Students @ Symphony program for area music students and Club members to attend the performance.
Additional informational about the QCSO and the KAIA String Quartet Residency is available online at QCSO.org and by phone at 563.322.7276. For more information on this National Endowment for the Arts grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.