Double Gold Tour
Each fall, Fischoff is pleased to host both gold medal winners from the Senior Division for the Double Gold Tour. The Double Gold Tour showcases the Wind and String winners in mainstage concerts across the Midwest. During their tour, these outstanding, emerging ensembles serve as resident artists providing interactive workshops, demonstrations and masterclasses for middle and high school band and orchestra students in Indiana and other neighboring states, as well as community concerts for audiences of all ages.
These personal interactions with Fischoff’s exceptional artists help encourage participation in band and orchestra programs as well as provide opportunities for this next generation of chamber music artists to cultivate future chamber music audiences. Fischoff ensembles expose audiences to high quality, innovative chamber music programs, which will reach many audience members who would not otherwise have the opportunity to hear live performances of this caliber.
2024 Gold Medal Schedule
LOTUS Quartet September 19 - October 1, 2024
September 20
Educational outreach programs, Mishawaka & Granger, IN
Program for Notre Dame College of Arts & Letters Advisory Council
September 22, 7:00 PM (EST)
September 23
Various educational outreach programs, Mishawaka & South Bend, IN Community Program & Discussion, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), 7:30 PM (EST)
September 24
Various educational outreach programs, St. Joseph, MI
September 25, 12:15 PM (CST)
Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Chicago, IL
Broadcast live on WFMT 98.7FM and available to watch on 9/26 on www.wfmt.com
September 26
Civic Music Association of Des Moines, Des Moines, IA
Various educational outreach programs, Des Moines, IA
September 27
Masterclass at Drake University, Des Moines, IA
Concert at Sheslow Auditorium, 7:30 PM (CST)
September 29, 4:00 PM
DeBartolo Performing Arts Center Presenting Artists Series, LaBar Family Recital Hall, O’Neill Music Center University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
September 29 - October 1
Recording at Sweetwater, Fort Wayne, IN
Trio Azura October 29 - November 8, 2024
October 30, 12:15 PM (CST)
Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Chicago, IL
Broadcast live on WFMT 98.7FM and available to watch on 10/31 on www.wfmt.com
October 31 - November 1
Educational outreach, radio performance, and coaching, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI
Concert at Dendrinos Chapel and Recital Hall, 7:30 PM (EST)
November 3, 4:00 PM
DeBartolo Performing Arts Center Presenting Artists Series, LaBar Family Recital Hall, O’Neill Music Center University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
November 4
Various educational outreach programs, St. Joseph, MI
November 5
Various educational outreach programs, Goshen, IN
Fischoff Chamber Music Academy Masterclass
November 6
Various educational outreach programs, Elkhart, South Bend, and Mishawaka, IN
November 7
Trinity School at Greenlawn, South Bend, IN
Private evening soirée
2024 Tour Education Partners
LOTUS Quartet September 19 - October 1, 2024
– LaSalle Academy, South Bend, IN
– Mishawaka High School, Mishawaka, IN
– Penn High School, Mishawaka, IN
– Riley High School, South Bend, IN
– St. Joseph High School, St. Joseph, MI
– Upton Middle School, St. Joseph, MI
Trio Azura October 29 - November 8, 2024
– Elkhart High School, Elkhart, IN
– Goshen High School, Goshen, IN
– Goshen Jr. High School, Goshen, IN
– Interlochen Center for the Arts, Interlochen, MI
– LaSalle Intermediate Academy, South Bend, IN
– St. Joseph High School, St. Joseph, MI
– Trinity School at Greenlawn, South Bend, IN
– Upton Middle School, St. Joseph, MI
2024 Tour Sponsors
The Double Gold Tour is possible with generous support from the following donors: Estate of Shirley and Jack Appleton, Frederick S. Upton Foundation, Jim and Holly Harris, John Jessen Family & Bradley Company, Deborah Hershey-Miller & Jeff Miller, Teresa Roberts & Gail English & Nels Leininger, Jeny & John Sejdinaj, Don and Nancy Crawford Fund for Fischoff in Mishawaka Schools, Howard Performing Arts Center at Andrews University, Butler University School of Music, Civic Music Association of Des Moines, Classical Music Chicago, Thiel College, University of Notre Dame, WFMT Chicago, Darton & Hersh Fine Violins, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Gurley Leep Automotive Family, Navarre Catering & Events/The Hibberd, Barnes & Thornburg LLP, Kruggel Lawton CPA, Lake City Bank, Miller Poultry, PNC Financial Services Group, Sweetwater, The Stscherban Everett Group – Baird Private Wealth Management, 1st Source Foundation, Indiana Arts Commission & National Endowment of the Arts, ArtsEverywhere Initiative of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, Community Foundation of Elkhart County, Cressy & Everett Real Estate, and Everwise Credit Union.
Double Gold Tour Accolades
“It gave my students a real music experience that they may not have ever been able to see or enjoy. I teach in a low-income area, and some of these students have trouble getting food at night. To have this for them is amazing, because at that moment their socio-economic status did not limit their potential.”
-Band teacher, Navarre Middle School
“I like students to think of these performances as they work on their own instruments. They can provide great role models for playing (both technically and personally).”
-Orchestra teacher, Lasalle Intermediate
The Balourdet String Quartet was excited to “share how amazing our experience has been… we look forward to all the things we will continue to do as a part of the Fischoff family. Joining this amazing team was really one of the best things that happened to us last year (2020). Thank you for everything you’ve done for us!”
-Balourdet Quartet, 2020 Fischoff Senior String Division Gold Medalist
Past Double Gold Tours
2023 Wind Tour Kodachrome
From left to right:
Jade Deatherage, Bonson Lee, Calvin Wong, and Siobhan Plouffe
Winners of the 2023 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition Gold Medal, Kodachrome is a saxophone quartet of four graduate students from Arizona State University where they are under the tutelage of Dr. Christopher Creviston. Kodachrome has also won First Prize awards at the 10th Plowman Chamber Music Competition and the 10th Coltman Chamber Music Competition and has also premiered several new works by Jenni Watson, Hendel Almétus and Eduardo Orea. Kodachrome is comprised of Calvin Wong (soprano), Jade Deatherage (alto), Siobhan Plouffe (tenor) and Bonson Lee (baritone). As individuals, members have competed and performed extensively in the United States as well as internationally and have studied with artists such as Otis Murphy, Kenneth Tse, Vincent David and Chien-Kwan Lin. One of the primary goals of Kodachrome is to promote contemporary underrepresented composers and provoke the general public’s interest in concert music.
2023 String Tour Poiesis Quartet
From left to right:
Drew Dansby, Max Ball, Sarah Ma, and Jasper de Boor
The Poiesis Quartet is the 2023 Grand Prize winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Founded during Oberlin Conservatory’s Advanced Quartet Seminar program in Fall 2022, they also received Fischoff’s Senior Strings Gold Medal and the Lift Every Voice prizes. In January 2023, the Quartet completed an international tour in Uruguay with artistic residencies in Punta del Diablo and Punta del Este’s premiere concert series, “Conciertos del Este”. Performances included the world premiere of Alejandro Melo’s composition “Elegy” which was dedicated to the Quartet. They also received Gold Medal and BIPOC Prize at the 2023 St. Paul String Quartet Competition’s senior division and Bronze Medal at the 2023 Glass City Chamber Music Competition. Additionally, Poiesis is grateful to have performed in masterclasses and worked with Sandy Yamamoto of the Miró Quartet, Philip Setzer of the Emerson Quartet, Jinjoo Cho, and Matt Albert. The Poiesis Quartet is primarily coached by Sibbi Bernhardsson of the Pacifica Quartet and is mentored by the Verona Quartet and Kirsten Docter of the Cavani Quartet.
The name Poiesis is derived from the ancient Greek word ποιεῖν, which means “to make”.