String Showcase: Artaria Quartet & Ernest Bisong Group

Calling all violin fans! The Artaria String Quartet and the Ernest Bisong Group, both of which are renowned string-led groups based in the Twin Cities, will share a bill on this special evening at Berlin. The Artaria String Quartet will present an excellent classical program, while Bisong’s quartet will share a set of remarkably fun and skillful jazz.

Artaria String Quartet members:

Ray Shows – Violin
Nancy Oliveros – Violin
Annalee Wolf – Viola
Rebecca Merblum – Cello

Ernest Bisong Group members:

Ernest Bisong – Violin
Ben Ehrlich – Drums
Jack Barrett – Piano
Charlie Bruber – Bass

Hailed by the Star Tribune as “Minnesota’s foremost teaching and performing string quartet,” the Artaria String Quartet comprises violinist Ray Shows, violinist Nancy Oliveros, violist Annalee Wolf, and cellist Rebecca Merblum. Artaria received the prestigious 2004 McKnight Fellowship for Performing Musicians; was featured on Twin Cities Public Television as part of the “Minnesota Originals” series; and was named Classical MPR Artists-in-Residence. They recently celebrated their thirty-fifth year of chamber music performing and educating.

Ernest Bisong was introduced to the violin at the age of nine in his home country of Nigeria. He has since studied with several notable tutors and performers from around the world, including Rachel Barton-Pine (American violinist), Sir Godfrey Amoah (Ghanaian violinist), Louis Jones (British violinist), Agnes Nagy (Hungarian cellist), and Thomas Kanitz (cellist of the Reger String Quartet and Dortmund Symphony Orchestra).

Bisong regularly performs with the Minneapolis String Project, a genre-blending trio that draws from jazz, fusion, soul, and global influences. He also leads the Ernest Bisong Group, showcasing original compositions that merge jazz with the rhythmic and melodic sensibilities of his African heritage. Through his dynamic performances and innovative approach to the violin, Ernest Bisong continues to expand the instrument’s expressive possibilities while captivating audiences worldwide.