The Eureka Chamber Music Series has been taking place for many years. This summer, however, was the first ever summer Festival. We enjoyed the chamber music we heard during the year, and wanted to support the summer event, which is how we ended up attending two concerts each weekend of the 8-day festival.
The invited composer was Elena Ruehr, who presented new works at three of the concerts. Our favorite was a violin/cello duet based on bird song.
The featured group was the Balourdet Quartet, who are based in Seattle. The music was wonderful, while their playing style surprised me. I am accustomed to instrumentalists holding still while they play, as though the music teachers of the world coach everyone to put their effort into the music and advise against swaying as one plays.
Not this group. The players in the Balourdet Quartet move with the music and their playing ranges from reaching forward as they push one direction, to almost standing as they play another measure. It makes them interesting to watch. I am always astonished at how much sound four players can make. (I have attached a short video at the end of this post where you can hear for yourself the volume of sound this group can make.)
On the Sunday of the final concert, there was a short concert at the Fieldbrook Winery, and we took advantage to attend it because the venue is very casual, and we could take Amanda and Aurora with us. Aurora didn’t have much to say about the music. She probably would have been happy to play in the fountain in the center of the patio, but she was willing to sit at a table and have her brunch while the musicians played.
In addition to the string quartet, the festival organizers recruited other players to make it possible for the group to play pieces of different group sizes in each concert, from duets and trios to a sextet by Mendelssohn and an octet by Schoenberg. Sophie Shao played cello, Ethan Filner played viola, and Tom Stone and Iris Stone played violin in different pieces. The result was a pleasure to watch, especially in the octet where two people played each instrument, a doubled quartet.
While the Balourdet players have returned to Seattle, we look forward to the fall and winter season of chamber music as new quartets visit Eureka.
Llywindatravels 2026 