OAC SUMMER CHAMBER SERIES
We are proud to announce our 2026 Summer Chamber Series at Oliver Art Center! Join us for compelling performances from world-class musicians this season, and enjoy our affordable ticket prices thanks to support from our Chamber Music Series Founders’ Circle donors and a grant from Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council. Founder’s Circle members support this important programming and receive benefits in return! Learn more at this link.
Please welcome our Ensemble in Residence:
Viridian Strings
The Oliver Art Center is proud to name Viridian Strings as our Ensemble in Residence, honoring a distinguished history of performance within our building and beyond. Over many seasons, their artistry has become an integral part of OAC’s cultural identity, enriching our center with compelling programs and unforgettable musical experiences. Their enduring presence reflects a shared commitment to artistic excellence and meaningful community connection. Each summer, Viridian Strings brings world–class musicians to Frankfort, transforming our community into a vibrant hub for chamber music. Their dedication to presenting performances of the highest caliber, while remaining deeply rooted in the spirit of northern Michigan, embodies the mission of OAC. We are honored to continue this valued partnership and to welcome audiences to experience the extraordinary musicianship and artistic vision that define Viridian Strings. Learn more about Virdian Strings at www.viridianstrings.com.
VIRIDIAN STRINGS at OAC
Freshwater Fantasies June 12, 7:00 pm
Join us for a pre-concert talk with the performers at approximately 6:10!
Doors open at 6:00 pm.
Performers: Nathan Meltzer: violin, Joe Skerik: viola, Kyle Stachnik: cello, Nina Bernat: double bass, Umi Garrett: piano
Program:
Clara Schumann – Three Romances, Op. 22
Ralph Vaughan Williams – Piano Quintet
Franz Schubert – Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667 “Trout”
This program celebrates lyricism, color, and imagination through three beloved works inspired by song, landscape, and expressive freedom. Clara Schumann’s intimate Romances open the evening with warmth and elegance, followed by the expansive pastoral sweep of Vaughan Williams’ early piano quintet. After intermission, Schubert’s iconic “Trout” Quintet brings buoyant rhythms, radiant melodies, and virtuosic interplay–an ideal soundtrack for a Northern Michigan summer.
LEARN MORE AND RESERVE TICKETS NOW
VIRIDIAN STRINGS at PINES OF ARCADIA
Charted Waters June 20, 7:00 pm
Join us for a pre-concert talk with the performers at approximately 6:10!
Doors open at 6:00 pm.
Performers: Nathan Meltzer: violin, Joe Skerik: viola, Kyle Stachnik: cello
Program:
Sergey Taneyev – Scherzino from String Trio in E-flat Major
Jean Cras – String Trio
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Divertimento in E-flat Major, K. 563
Join us for a performance at Pines of Arcadia! Nestled in the pine forests within sight of Lake Michigan, Pines is an intimate venue that provides a beautiful backdrop for this special program. Charted Waters traces the expressive evolution of the string trio, from Classical balance to richly colored 20th–century voices. Taneyev’s sparkling Scherzino is followed by Jean Cras’s expansive and rhythmically driven trio. The evening culminates with Mozart’s monumental Divertimento, K. 563, a work of remarkable depth, elegance, and conversational brilliance.
Location: Pines of Arcadia is located at the end of Bischoff Road, just south of Arcadia. Follow the signs and park on the road and walk up the short drive to the studio, or watch for parking attendants if you need handicap parking.
LEARN MORE AND RESERVE TICKETS NOW
 |
 |
 |
VIRIDIAN STRINGS at OAC
Undercurrents August 1, 7:00 pm
Join us for a pre-concert talk with the performers at approximately 6:10!
Doors open at 6:00 pm.
Performers: Claire Wells: violin, Joe Skerik: viola, Kyle Stachnik: cello, Umi Garrett: piano
Program:
Johannes Brahms – Scherzo from F-A-E Sonata
Robert Schumann – Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47
Johannes Brahms – Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor
Undercurrents explores the emotional intensity and inner turbulence of the Romantic piano quartet tradition. From Brahms’ fiery F–A–E Scherzo to Schumann’s radiant Op. 47, the program builds to the dramatic sweep of Brahms’ G Minor Piano Quartet, brimming with passion, rhythmic drive, and Hungarian–inspired flair.
LEARN MORE AND RESERVE TICKETS NOW
SOLSTICE ENSEMBLE at OAC
June 21, 7:00 pm and July 16, 7:00 pm
Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Performers: Ruth van Baak Griffioen: recorder, Carolyn Edwards: violin and viola, Carole Scott: flute, Pater Paolini: cello, Douglas Scott: piano
Solstice Ensemble plays everything from romantic baroque to lively tango for the unusual combination of flute, violin, recorder, cello, and piano. These musicians initially connected as members of the Benzie Area Symphony Orchestra, and now perform together as a chamber group.
June 21st: LEARN MORE AND RESERVE TICKETS NOW
July 16th: LEARN MORE AND RESERVE TICKETS NOW
MANITOU WINDS at OAC
June 27, 7:00 pm
Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Manitou Winds is a versatile chamber ensemble of passionate musicians. Exploring uncharted genres and highlighting new or obscure composers, Manitou Winds invents repertoire through their own arrangements and compositions, resulting in unique music not found elsewhere!
LEARN MORE AND RESERVE TICKETS NOW
KATARINA STRING QUARTET at OAC
July 9, 7:00 pm
Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Performers: Jeanel Liang: violin, Jérôme Chaisson: violin, Celia Morin: viola, Maya Enstad: cello
As the Grand Prize winner of the 2025 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, the Katarina String Quartet has distinguished itself as one of North America’s most compelling young ensembles. The tightly knit, community–focused ensemble serves as the Graduate Resident String Quartet at The Juilliard School, where they explore all chamber music from contemporary and canonized works to folk tunes. Presented in partnership with Interlochen Public Radio’s Sound Garden Project, this concert event is free to attend – please reserve tickets at the link below to secure your seat.
LEARN MORE AND RESERVE TICKETS NOW
Thank you to our partners at Interlochen Public Radio and the Sound Garden Project for making this performance possible!
SIX MILE STRINGS at OAC
September 5, 6:30 pm
Doors open at 6:00 pm.
Performers: Yuri Popowycz, Natalie Frakes, Alycia Wilder, and Tom Sullivan
Lauded as “the most fun string quartet in the world” by IPR’s Kate Botello, Six Mile Strings blends classical repertoire with new sounds and genres. This Detroit–based string quartet have performed across Michigan, and bring their energetic repertoire to OAC for the first time this season. As educators and advocates, Six Mile Strings is dedicated to breaking boundaries and creating access to music, music–making and learning.
LEARN MORE AND RESERVE TICKETS NOW
This project is funded in part by Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.
