Musicians
The Artisan String Quartet, Patrice Calixte & Mariama Alcântara on violins, Bruce Williams on viola, and Douglas Harvey on cello, is comprised primarily of principal players from the Austin Symphony and has become a fixture around central Texas and beyond. In addition to regular appearances at the Victoria Bach Festival, the Artisans enjoy Quartet in Residence status at the Texas Bach Festival in Georgetown, the Mozart Festival Texas in San Antonio, Classical Sound Inc., and the Mason Chamber Music Festival. MidAmerica Productions, Inc. invited the Artisan String Quartet to make its Carnegie Hall debut performing on the Carnegie Hall Weil Recital Hall Chamber Music Series on March 22, 2012. The concert in New York was commemorated by the Texas House of Representatives on March 13, 2013, with HR 703 read into the Texas Congressional Record with the Artisans present.
Please visit the AQ website at www.artisanquartet.net or “like” us on Facebook.
Patrice Calixte & Mariama Alcântara, violins
Bruce Williams, viola
Douglas Harvey, cello
Meet the Guest Artist
Francesco Barfoed – Piano
Francesco Barfoed is a Danish-Italian pianist born and raised in Copenhagen. A young artist on the rise, he frequently collaborates with singers and has twice won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions with mezzo-soprano Megan Moore and baritone Joseph Parrish. Megan and Francesco also won 1st prize in the Copenhagen Lied-Duo Competition and 2nd prize at the Naumberg Foundation International Vocal Competition, and they have performed throughout the United States, including the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Lincoln Center in New York City. Francesco partnered with Carnegie Hall Citywide in NYC and was broadcast on WQXR, New York’s classical music radio station. Francesco works extensively in opera and has assisted Juilliard and the Aspen Music Festival with many productions as a coach and rehearsal pianist. He participated twice in Renée Fleming’s SongStudio at Carnegie Hall and performed in Masterclasses with renowned pianists such as Martin Katz, Roger Vignoles, Malcolm Martineau, and Leif Ove Andsnes. Upcoming highlights include song recitals in NYC and South Carolina and chamber music performances in Texas with principal string players of the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
Francesco is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at The Juilliard School, where he also completed a master’s degree as a Kovner Fellow. He holds degrees from The Royal Danish Academy of Music and Rutgers University. His doctoral studies focus on Danish songs, and he specializes in coaching singers in the Danish language. Francesco holds Italian citizenship and is fluent in Danish, Italian, and English.