The Arianna String Quartet, UMSL’s resident quartet, was named Best Chamber Music Group by both the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and its readers. (Photo by Justin Lee)
University of Missouri–St. Louis artists, events and alumni were again well represented in a list of St. Louis’ best.
Highlighted in this year’s Go! List, composed of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch critics’ and readers’ picks for the best in St. Louis, were the following members of the UMSL community and university events:
- Arianna String Quartet, critics’ and readers’ choice for Best Chamber Music Group
- MADCO, readers’ choice for Best Local Dance Company.
- Spring to Dance Festival, readers’ and critics’ choice for Best Dance Festival/Series
- Alumnus Keith Boyer, BA music 2010, critics’ choice for Best Male Opera Singer
- Alumnus Ben Poremba, BA philosophy 2003, critics’ choice for Best Local Chef/Restaurateur
The Arianna String Quartet and MADCO are both professional companies housed at UMSL and the Touhill. The Spring to Dance Festival takes place at the Touhill and is sponsored by Dance St. Louis.
The Post-Dispatch critics praised UMSL’s winners.
“We’re fortunate that the University of Missouri–St. Louis has a set of artists in residence, and even more fortunate that those artists comprise the Arianna String Quartet,” wrote critic Sarah Bryan Miller. “They offer fine, accessible playing and great discussions of the music that illuminate the intentions of, and influences on, the composers.”
According to local dance critic Calvin Wilson, the most recent edition of Spring to Dance was “as impressive as ever… providing one of the better entertainment options for the Memorial Day weekend.”
