Harrington String Quartet Announces New Season, New Professorship

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

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University’s Harrington String Quartet will open its concert season with a newly endowed professor and a new arrival.

The quartet’s three-concert season will open at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7 at The Church in Austin Park, 2525 Wimberly Road in Amarillo.

Season tickets are on sale now for $50. Individual concert tickets are $20. Call 806-651-2840.

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.

Dr. Rossitza Goza, who joined the quartet as its first violinist in 2010, is now the Dorothy and Don Patterson Professor of Violin, following a $125,000 gift from the Amarillo couple, both WT alums.

“Don and I were such good friends of Sybil, and in fact, she inspired us to start giving back to the community and, particularly, to WT because of her belief in the importance of education,” Dorothy Patterson said. “We hope this professorship will act in concert with her vision for the quartet and provide sustainable funding to it for years to come.”

The quartet also includes Emmanuel Lopez, cello; Evgeny Zvonnikov, violin 2; and the newly appointed Brenton Caldwell, viola. (See related story.)

Goza said she was honored to be named to the position.

“I am deeply grateful to the Pattersons for their generosity,” Goza said. “Their gift invigorates me with a deepened sense of artistic purpose as I am further entrusted with the stewardship of Mrs. Harrington’s extraordinary vision—a legacy that feels both miraculous and sacred.” 

Goza is the second endowed member of the quartet. Lopez was named the Periman Distinguished Chair of Cello in 2015.

“Endowed professorships like the gift given by the Pattersons add tremendous value to the faculty experience,” said Dr. Dan Peterson, dean of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities. “The funding enhances a faculty member’s work with students, research, and community collaboration. We would love to eventually have each Harrington String Quartet member in an endowed professorship.”

Dr. B.J. Brooks, director of the School of Music, agreed.

“Endowments like the Patterson Professorship are vital to the long-term health of the Harrington String Quartet. They ensure that the quartet’s artistic and educational mission can continue and adjust to the needs of the area,” Brooks said. “Sybil Harrington’s original vision laid the foundation, and each new endowment builds on that legacy. We hope this inspires others to invest to complete the professorships of the Harrington String Quartet, a unique gem in the heart of the Panhandle.”

HSQ will offer three concerts in their 2025-2026 season.

The November concert will feature “Valencia” by Caroline Shaw, Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 and Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet in C Minor.

The quartet will perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Fritz Kreisler’s String Quartet in A Minor and Johannes Brahms’ String Quartet No. 3 in B-Flat Major at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 at Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive.

And finally, the quartet will perform a newly composed work by WT’s Brooks, as well as Franz Schubert’s String Quartet in A Minor, “Rosamunde,” Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in D Major, “The Lark,” at 7:30 p.m. April 10 at Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall on WT’s Canyon campus.

HSQ’s collaborative recording with the Phoenix Chorale, “Northern Lights,” was distinguished as iTunes’s Best Classical Vocal Album of 2012. In 2005, the quartet also released a Grammy-nominated album of works by American composer Daniel McCarthy on the Albany Records label.

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.

Photo: West Texas A&M University's Harrington String Quartet will perform three concerts in its 2025-2026 season. Members are, from left, Brenton Caldwell, viola; Emmanuel Lopez, cello; Dr. Rossitza Goza, violin 1; and Evgeny Zvonnikov, violin 2.

—WT—