Charles Gilbert, violins
Josh Thaver, viola
Maxwell Remmer, cello
Send us your scores! � Converge, a student-run music collective based at the University of Michigan, is an organization whose aims are twofold. The first is to develop lasting relationships between student performers and composers at UofM's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, giving composers a platform from which to have their works seriously studied, sincerely engaged with, and frequently performed. The second is to share these works with the wider Ann Arbor community, breaking down the barriers between artists and modern-day audiences by presenting the art being created TODAY in a creative, energetic, and passionate way. This music is not only exciting, rich, and rewarding to play: it is also capable of bringing people together from widely varied backgrounds. It is our aim to transform perceptions of "classical music" and the performing arts community, revealing their capacity to present art filled with vitality, enthusiasm, and beauty and capable of captivating listeners from all ages and backgrounds. Founded in 2015 by Kellen Degnan, Bram Margoles, Ryan McDonald, and Cassidy Goldblatt, Converge began as a string quartet whose aim was to study the works of fellow student composers as if they were standard repertoire. The quartet not only rehearsed intensively but also procured weekly coachings from chamber music faculty and performed at every available opportunity. Their experience was so rewarding that they decided to expand the concept to a fully-fledged collective of musicians with similar interest in contemporary classical music. By 2016, they had been named EXCELerator Fellows in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance's first year of funding sustainable, innovative student projects. Converge finished their first year with an invigorating yet intimate performance of eight pieces composed within the last six years, presented by a total of seventeen musicians. Their goals for the coming 2016-2017 season include performances throughout Ann Arbor's book-shops, cafés, and outdoors common areas, as well as more formal "culminating" concerts presenting a variety of works studied throughout the year.
