Brenton Caldwell Named New Violist for Harrington String Quartet at WT

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Following a nationwide search, a new violist has joined the Harrington String Quartet at West Texas A&M University.

Brenton Caldwell will make his performance debut with the quartet at its season-opening concert Nov. 7.

“I’m looking forward to exploring some of the greatest music ever written and expanding my chamber music repertoire with the quartet,” Caldwell said. “I hope to help build our audience to help to continue to enrich culture in the Texas Panhandle.”

Caldwell said he knew the quartet by reputation before applying to join.

HSQ was established by a generous gift from the late Sybil B. Harrington to benefit the Panhandle community. From its founding in 1981, the quartet has brought stellar credentials and a refined sense of ensemble and musical integrity to performances across the nation and internationally.

“Having a quartet in residence, like WT does, is pretty rare these days,” Caldwell said. “So it’s a great honor to be part of Mrs. Harrington’s legacy.”

Caldwell rose to the top among the field of candidates, said Dr. Rossitza Goza, the newly named Dorothy and Don Patterson HSQ First Violin Professor.

“We are thrilled to welcome Brenton to the Harrington String Quartet,” Goza said. “It’s a rare and special gift when musical chemistry is matched by genuine personal connection, and with Brenton we have both.”

Caldwell began teaching viola in the WT School of Music at the start of the fall semester.

“Brenton brings an exceptional blend of artistry, experience and genuine warmth to the Harrington String Quartet and to WT,” said Dr. B.J. Brooks, director of the School of Music in the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. “His students in face-to-face classes have already responded well to his teaching approach, as have his private lesson studio musicians. His remarkable background as a performer and educator enriches not only the quartet’s legacy but also the school’s learning environment. We are thrilled to welcome him into our community and look forward to the inspiration he will bring to the area.”

Caldwell said he began playing viola as a child in Tyler.

“I didn’t want to play bass or cello and have to haul them around,” he joked.

As a freshman, he saw acclaimed violist Karen Tuttle give a masterclass.

“I was moved by how passionate she was about the music, and it was like that Harry Potter moment when something lit up in me,” Caldwell said. “I knew I wanted to play viola and that I wanted her to guide me. I was very lucky that I was one of her last students.”

After earning a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and an arts diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music, he earned a Master of Music degree at Lynn University. He currently is pursuing a doctoral degree from the University of North Texas.

A frequent performer of chamber music, Caldwell also has performed as an orchestral musician with the Dallas Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, National Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

“I love performing the great chamber music and viola repertoire deeply, and I find teaching to be just as meaningful, though in a different way,” Caldwell said. “I’m just so thrilled to be part of such a warm and supportive group of colleagues and students at WT, and I’m really looking forward to sharing with my students the wisdom and guidance my mentors shared with me.”

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WT—