With apologies to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn: you 

 need to take the A-Train to get to Harlem, at least not this weekend in Minnesota.  The 

 brings their eclectic string quartet vision to St. Cloud with a busy weekend that includes a free family concert Saturday at the public library and a formal concert Sunday at First Presbyterian Church. 

The program is typically adventurous for this group, which started in 2006 under the Sphinx Organization for BIPOC classical musicians. It is now in residence at the Royal College of Music in London. Listen for music by Jesse Montgomery, Wynton Marsalis, Caroline Shaw, Fanny Mendelssohn and more. Times, tickets and details are 

 from the Chamber Music Society of St. Cloud.

John Birge has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.


John Birge

This week on Birge’s Picks, check out the Harlem Quartet as they perform a series of concerts in St. Cloud. 


Harlem in St. Cloud