American Echoes
Artistic Archetypes and Eternal Optimism
Manistique Chamber Concert Series
Paul Lundin’s cherished string quartet returns with a program that honors the enduring legacy of this concert series and rich cultural heritage of our country.
Featuring Paul Lundin and Joe Deller on violins, Janine Bradbury on viola, and Stefan Koch on cello, the concert opens with Ernst von Dohnányi’s Serenade for String Trio. This graceful and spirited work has echoed throughout the series since one of its earliest performances in 1968. William Grant Still’s Lyric Quartette offers a vivid and expressive portrait of African American life, with each movement inspired by a distinct cultural archetype.
Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, affectionately known as the “American Quartet,” follows as a radiant expression of frontier optimism, composed during his time in the United States and infused with folk‑inspired melodies.
To conclude the evening, the quartet is joined by pianist Maurita Peterson Holland and a choir of local voices for a special performance of “We Call Ourselves Americans” by Jim Irwin. Community vocalists are warmly invited to take part in this finale, adding their voices to a shared moment of music‑making that embodies patriotism, reflection, and hope as we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary.
Those interested in singing in the choir may contact Emily Olson at emily@beaconartsmichigan.org to learn more and sign up. After the performance, audience members will be invited to join in the singing, ensuring that the entire community can participate in this uplifting closing tribute.
Paul Lundin and Joe Deller, violins
Janine Bradbury, viola
Stefan Koch, cello
Maurita Peterson Holland, piano
Manistique Chamber Concert Series
Church of the Redeemer, 314 Main St, Manistique, MI 49854
(906) 341-5753
Tickets available at the door: $15 per adult; Veterans and patrons 18 and under enter free.
-
The True North String Quartet was founded in 2010 by Paul Lundin and cellist Dan Thomas. Paul was new to the Detroit/Ann Arbor music scene at the time and enlisted Mr. Thomas to recommend a violinist and violist to fill out the proposed group.
The group name was Lundin’s invention showing his strong affection for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The first concerts in 2010 had Paul Lundin and Karen Donato on violin, Joseph Deller on viola and Dan Thomas on cello. This was the same personnel until 2018 when Ms. Donato left the group due to family obligations. David Lamse filled her place for several years.
After Dan Thomas moved to Texas, several cellists assisted the group until Finnish born cellist Katri Ervamaa accepted the role in 2022. The current group consists of Lundin, Joseph Deller, violin, Janine Bradbury, viola and Katri Ervamaa, cello.
Joseph Deller is a stalwart in the group, playing either viola or violin on all but one of the programs.
Repertoire played by the group has included some of the greatest and most popular string quartets by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Schubert. But the group has also explored less often performed works such as the “one off” quartets by composers who specialized in other types of composition. For instance, quartets by Hugo Wolf, Edvard Grieg, Giuseppi Verdi, Carl Czerny, Giacomo Puccini, Samuel Barber, and George Gershwin. True North String Quartet has also explored works by composers that are long forgotten or little known but created hidden gems in the repertoire such as works by J. C. Arriaga, Wilhelm Stenhammer, Joseph Boulogne, Erich Korngold, Alfred Hill, and Joachim Raff.
The pieces chosen created fun and provocative titles over the years such as A Night at the Movies, A Night at the Opera, Hail Britannia, Prodigies and Masters, The Killer B’s, A. K. A., Maiden Voyage, First and Only, Teacher – Student – Master, Czech it Out, Land Sea and Sky, and Nordic Dreams.
The True North String Quartet hopes to continue to bring unique and entertaining programs to the Upper Peninsula through Beacon Arts Michigan.
-
Paul Lundin, is a native of Escanaba, MI. He received both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in violin performance at the University of Iowa where he studied with Allen Ohmes. He has extensive experience as a performer and as a private violin instructor at all levels.
Before moving to SE Michigan, Paul was a free-lance violinist in the Milwaukee, WI area. Paul has served as Concertmaster of the Racine Symphony, Assistant Concertmaster of The Waukesha Symphony, and played in the first violin sections of Green Bay, Festival City, and Milwaukee Ballet orchestras. He taught on the faculty of Concordia University of Wisconsin as an adjunct instructor of violin from 2000-2008.
Paul held a full time position in the Shreveport Symphony in Louisiana from 1992-99. While there, he also served on the faculties of Northwestern State University and the Centenary Suzuki School and as concertmaster of the Longview (TX) Symphony.
He has performed as soloist with several orchestras including performances of Erich Korngold’s Violin Concerto with the Longview Symphony and the Superior Festival Orchestra (Marquette, MI) to critical acclaim.
Paul continues a strong musical relationship with Upper Michigan as former director of the “Strings on the Bay Chamber Music Series” through Bay de Noc Community College in Escanaba and continues to perform with the True North String Quartet each summer.
Paul recently produced his first CD "True North" - more details at www.paullundin.com
-
Joseph Deller received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Violin Performance from Hope College and has pursued a freelance music career in the Detroit Metropolitan area. He can be heard around town on violin and viola, playing with the Detroit Opera Orchestra, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, International Symphony Orchestra, Oakland Symphony Orchestra, and others. He is a certified Suzuki Violin Teacher and maintains a private studio of violin, viola, and piano students at his home in Dearborn. He most recently began teaching Suzuki group violin lessons through the Harbor Homeschool group in Dearborn.
-
Maurita Peterson Holland grew up in Gulliver, MI. After graduating from Manistique High School, she attended the University of Michigan where she studied music, computing, and information science. Maurita is a University of Michigan Associate Professor Emerita of Information, having taught courses in the design and management of information systems and services, served as Assistant to the Dean for Academic Initiatives, and worked with cultural heritage preservation information systems in Native American tribal colleges and the Smithsonian. After retiring, she continued her teaching and interest in K-12 curriculum development in the UM’s School of Education and School of Information.
Maurita began playing piano at age four. She spent several summers at Interlochen’s National Music Camp. Maurita has accompanied the Ann Arbor Cantata Singers and has been a frequent piano accompanist and performer in the Ann Arbor area. She earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Michigan where she studied piano with Robert Hord and also pursued doctoral work in musicology. Maurita has played flute with the Ann Arbor Adult Flute Ensemble. As an active member of the Detroit-area Swedish community, Maurita often plays Scandinavian music on her accordion. She was the first woman on the board of the American Society for Engineering Education and has served on the boards of the University of Michigan Press, Michigan's Institute of Continuing Legal Education Technology Committee, Board of Trustees of the Emerson and Greenhills Schools, and of the Board of Trustees of the Community Systems Foundation. She has been a governor of the Martha Cook Building of the University of Michigan and president of the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor. She is currently the chair of the board of The Stewardship Network, a regional environmental non- profit, is a founding member of Washtenaw Citizens for Ecological Balance, and belongs to the Rotary Club of Manistique.
Maurita spends as much time as possible at her Lake Michigan home in Gulliver. She is an Advanced Master Gardener and grew orchids for many years.
-
James Robert (Jim) Irwin was born on January 27, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan. In his current residence, Jim is a successful business owner, a community leader, and a philanthropist. In addition to being an amateur songwriter, Jim is also the author of the baseball book, "Playing Ball With Legends".
Renowned American jazz icon Dennis E. Wilson wrote and arranged a jazz composition in Jim's honor, called "This One's For Jim". It was premiered in Ann Arbor, Michigan by the Count Basie Orchestra.
-
Janine Bradbury, viola, is Principal Violist of the Flint Symphony Orchestra and Principal Viola of the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Lexington Bach Festival Orchestra. She also holds a position with the Ann Arbor Symphony. Janine performs regularly with the Michigan Sinfonietta, the Rochester Symphony and various chamber music ensembles. Previously, Janine held positions with the Michigan Opera Theater and Boulder (CO) Philharmonic as well as substituting with the Windsor and Detroit Symphonies. Janine played 15 years of professional Broadway theatre in Detroit and regularly subbed with the /national tour of Phantom of the Opera. She has performed with Aretha Franklin, Earth, Wind and Fire, The Who, Smokey Robinson, Plant and Page, Anne Murray and others.
Janine received a MM Viola degree from the Juilliard School, BMusEd and Violin Performance from Michigan State University and was a fellowship student at the University of Maryland where her string trio was coached by the Guarneri Quartet.
Janine is a dedicated teacher of violin and viola at her studio in Commerce Township and enjoys sharing her passion for music with students.
Janine also enjoys pursuing the art of dressage with her equine partner, Helen.
-
Stefan Koch studied the cello at Temple University in Philadelphia with Hirofumi Kanno and Orlando Cole. He is a member of the Lansing Symphony and frequently performs with the Ann Arbor Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Detroit Opera and Grand Rapids Symphony.
From 2007 to 2024 he was Principal Cello at the Utah Festival Opera and accepted the same position at Opera in the Ozarks in 2025. In 2014 Mr. Koch released a CD of the cello and piano music of the exiled Jewish Viennese composer Richard Stöhr with pianist Robert Conway on the Toccata Classics (London, UK) label, and has since released three other CDs of the same composer’s music on the same label.