Sibling quartet to perform at BYU-I
- posted: 09 Oct. 2007
- scrollarts@byui.edu
BYU-Idaho students don’t have to be studying music to appreciate different genres of music. The Ying Quartet is an example of a group who performs music that may seem unfamiliar to many students. The Grammy-winning quartet combines both western classical and Asian music.
The Ying Quartet is a group of siblings who all play stringed instruments. The quartet consists of two violin players, one viola player and a cellist.
“It’s amazing how different instruments can come together and sound good; they all connect in some way,” said Chelsea Boehmer, a senior studying music.
Timothy Ying, the first violinist, said that although the music they play might not be what everyone listens to on campus, many students can still feel some type of emotion through the quartet’s music.
“Music is a very powerful language,” said Ying, “it can capture a human experience, capture feelings, no matter what country or time period you’re from.”
Many of the songs that the quartet perform are written about something, whether it be a sweet memory or a life lesson learned. Although there are no words in their songs, many can still feel that emotion through the way they play their music.
Several students mentioned how music can have a powerful effect on emotions.
“When the music gets exciting, I get excited,” said Jessica Smith, a junior studying music.
That’s exactly what the Ying Quartet strives for: allowing the students to get involved and feel different emotions with the various songs.
Ying said the feelings that one experiences in the songs differ from person to person, and that’s the beauty of music.
“Musicians can make the concert hall experience less stuffy,” Ying said. The quartet really tries to make the audience’s concert experience comfortable and interesting.
The Ying Quartet will perform here at BYU-I on October 10-11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Barrus Concert Hall.
The quartet will also be working with students who play stringed instruments themselves. These students are mostly music majors, but there are a few who play simply for the love of it. 
