AUBURN, Alabama — The Fairhope Chamber Strings Quartet – comprised of students Isabella Eleogo, Tiffany Johnson, Heather Johnson of Bay Minette and Richard Fang of Spanish Fort – received a hard-earned “superior” rating at the Alabama Orchestra Association’s MPA Festival at Auburn University.

Isabella (violin) and Tiffany (cello) are students at Baldwin County High School, Heather (violin) attends Bay Minette Middle and Richard (violin) attends Spanish Fort. All four have been taking private lessons from Kim Shannon and have been performing as a group for about year.

At the festival they were judged alongside youth orchestras from all over the state. 

“We were the smallest group there, but big things sometimes come from small packages,” Shannon said. “I am so very proud of my students and our string program. They are truly talented young musicians.”

While group rehearsals are at the Fairhope Music Store, private lessons take place at the Bay Minette Public Library.

The quartet will be performing at 6 p.m. May 20 at the Bay Minette Public Library. The group will perform some of its competition pieces including Vivaldi’s “Spring,” Handel’s “Royal Fireworks La Rejouissance,” and from the movie “Masters and Commanders” the wonderful duet “La Musica Notturna di Madrid.” The public is invited to attend this special performance.