Abeo In April

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: April 2023

There never has been a better time to be or become a fan of Chamber Music.

One of the most prestigious and oldest summer music festivals in the United States, the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber music Festival’s reputation is rooted, at least in part, to the 23-year-long artistic residency of its director William Ransom.

During his tenure, Ransom has enthusiastically endorsed and expanded the festival’s educational outreach program. Recently he announced the continuation of the Residency Program with performances and educational sessions scheduled April 28-29 by the award-winning young musicians of The Abeo Quartet.

In Nigerian dialect, the name “Abeo” is an expression of joy, chosen by the group to reflect their love for playing chamber music and sharing it with others. Sponsored by the Cullasaja Women’s Outreach, the quartet will fulfill the promise of their moniker, engaging students and stimulating an interest in classical music at three area schools – Highlands, Blue Ridge and Summit in Cashiers. Equally important, they will bring chamber music concerts to residents of the Fidelia Eckerd Living Center who usually do not have access to live performances and, driven by an enthusiasm for developing new audiences, they will perform a free public concert on Saturday April 29, at First Presbyterian Church in Highlands.

“The festival loves presenting young rising stars to our audiences, and they make the perfect choice for our Fall and Spring Residencies, when we take them to all the area schools for programs for the students in the community,” says Ransom. “It’s always exciting to see the kids interact with such talented young musicians! Njioma Grevious, first violin with The Abeo, recently won First Prize and Audience Choice of the 2023 Sphinx Competition – one of the nation’s top honors – so we’ll all get to enjoy some of the best young talent in the US.”

With a high level of refined and exciting playing and interesting programming, the Abeo Quartet has certainly made its mark. The ensemble was formed in 2018 at Juilliard as the inaugural Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the University of Delaware. In 2022, they were among ten quartets invited to participate in the 14th Banff International String Quartet and have appeared in Alice Tully Hall and at The Kennedy Center’s Reach Festival.

The Highlands-Cashiers Chambers Music Festival opens officially July 1-3 and continues with vigorous and exciting programing until the final session when it concludes with aplomb on Sunday August 6 with the Gershon/Cohn Final Gala Concert & Dinner.

For tickets and more information, visit h-cmusicfestival.org or call (828) 526-9060.