Programs
As the resident quartet at Duke University, Ciompi has the opportunity to build community and programs around the proliferation of chamber music and the advancement of its established and emerging practitioners and audiences. Ciompi continues to develop and implement new programs to contribute to that invaluable endeavor.
The Portfolio Project
The Project began in the summer of 2020 as a way for the Quartet to engage with composers during the COVID-19 pandemic, when live performances were curtailed and composers and performers needed creative outlets for their music. The value to the composers was so valuable that the project has continued and grown in scope and reach.
Summer Chamber Series
The Summer Chamber Music Series presents three concerts hosted and curated by the Ciompi Quartet members. International and nationally recognized guest artists, familiar and new, are invited to join Ciompi musicians – cellist Caroline Stinson, violist Jonathan Bagg and violinist Eric Pritchard – for programs that showcase their collaborations outside the Ciompi Quartet.
The Free Admission Initiative
As Ciompi returned to live performances in 2021, they made the important decision to make the majority of their Durham area performances free of charge, particularly those on the Duke campus. It was their hope that this would remove a significant barrier to entry for the members of their community for whom a ticket price was a challenge. This has proven to be a highly successful initiative, raising attendance and building greater community around their performances.
Commissioning
Over five decades Ciomp has commissioned numerous works, particularly from those composers associated with Duke University. These include Paul Schoenfield, Stephen Jaffe, Scott Lindroth, and Melinda Wagner. Their extensive catalog of commissions includes many that have remained in their performance schedules for several years and, in some cases, multiple decades. The have also been recorded and performed by other notable String Quartets.