October 19, 2011 – Here we are, back in LA catching up on school work, orchestra parts, and solo rep.  Calidore Quartet has been taking a bit of a breather while we prepare for this Saturday’s Colburn Orchestra concert, but having just tasted the lifestyle of the pros, can’t wait to get going again.  The flurry of performances we’ve given during the Fischoff tour has kicked our enthusiasm for quartet playing into hyper-drive. 

This tour was an incredible journey from the moment we began our first outreach concert at Liberty Elementary to our last words on WFMT before piling into the car to head to Midway airport.  We took it day by day, always knowing that we were being looked after each step of the way.  They were busy days but when each one came to a close we didn’t want to be any closer to it all ending.  Each one of us has grown tremendously as musicians because of the abundance of experiences we were given through Fischoff’s Winners Tour. 

Every time we stepped out to perform, whether it was a small gymnasium or a 900 seat hall, we walked as artists with something to express on our instruments together. Thank you for providing those opportunities. Thank you for laying the foundation for us to build our art on. Our exposure to a wide variety of venues has changed us as a quartet in so many positive ways. We’ve gained much confidence both as a group and as individuals from just that one week of performances. 

The Calidore String Quartet will always keep the Fischoff experience close to heart. As we continue on, we will build on the generosity, kindness and dedication that has been bestowed on us from the Fischoff Competition. We appreciate all that the organization has done for the quartet and hope that our relationship lasts for a lifetime.
 
With sincerest gratitude,
 
The Calidore String Quartet