Welcome from the Director
Welcome to the 2021-22 season and the 40th anniversary of the Harrington String Quartet. Recognizing this milestone anniversary, the School of Music at West Texas A&M University takes justifiable pride in our role as the home of the distinguished group of internationally acclaimed artists.
From its humble beginning in 1917 as a loosely organized marching band with one faculty member at West Texas Normal College, the West Texas A&M University School ofMusic has grown to achieve recognition as one of the finest music programs in the country. The growth of the program is the legacy of many fine students and teachers over the years, and of the visionary support of philanthropic donors who recognize the vital impor- tance of a vibrant cultural life for the Panhandle of Texas.
In the late 1970s, Sybil B. Harrington envisioned a plan to support music in the university and the greater Amarillo community by providing an endowment to create the Harrington String Quartet. The Quartet formed in 1981, and in the past 40 years has risen to international prominence, becoming a cornerstone of the School of Music at WTAMU.
In 2012, we launched Stringendo, the HSQ support organization, to provide funding for the operation and projects of the quartet. The musical term stringendo directs that the intensity of the music is to be increased by a quickening of tempo, as when approaching a climax. It is the metaphor of the energy driving the future of the quartet. The generosity of our Stringendo members constitutes a vital and essential portion of the resources required to maintain the quartet. We are eternally grateful to our donors, and we welcome anyone who wishes to join in support of this outstanding cultural resource.
This year, we celebrate the past years of accomplishment and look forward to an even brighter future. On behalf of the School of Music, it is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to the 40th season of Harrington String Quartet.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rober Hansen
Director of the School of Music