DelawareScene: Christopher Nichols, clarinet, Faculty Artist & Copeland String Quartet, Guest Artists @ University of Delaware, Gore Recital Hall in the Roselle Center for the Arts

Christopher Nichols, clarinet, Faculty Artist & Copeland String Quartet, Guest Artists

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

Christopher Nichols

Critically acclaimed clarinetist Christopher Nichols enjoys a dynamic career with performances as a soloist and in ensembles across the United States and abroad. As a professional instrumental soloist, he received praise from the American Prize: “…lovely long line, evocative playing, flexible…tone is rich and round, welcoming, clean and elegant…fine performances from a skilled artist.”

A dedicated pedagogue, Dr. Nichols joined the faculty of the University of Delaware School of Music in 2013 where he is Associate Professor of Clarinet and Director of Graduate Studies. As an artist clinician, he regularly appears at universities throughout the United States. His students have found success in competitions, won positions in military bands, and serve as music educators.

Copeland String Quartet

Violinists Eliezer Gutman and Lisa Vaupel, violist Elizabeth Jaffe, and cellist Jennifer Jie Jin—all veteran performers with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and other regional ensembles—are celebrating their 21st year of performing together as the Copeland String Quartet (CSQ).

The quartet’s origins trace back to violinist Tom Jackson, violist Nina Cottman, and cellist Mark Ward, who joined forces with Gutman to explore the dazzling and vast repertoire for string quartet. In a moment of serendipity, the ensemble was invited to perform at the Church of the Holy City in Wilmington, Delaware, in celebration of the church’s 150th anniversary. The success of that concert marked the beginning of a lasting partnership: the church, with its luminous acoustics ideally suited for chamber music, became the quartet’s “home,” hosting a four-concert series each year. Now in its 21st season, the series continues through the generosity of Tatiana Copeland, noted Delaware philanthropist and arts patron, for whom the quartet was named in gratitude.