Four student musicians from St. Joseph High School have earned top honors at the 2026 MASTA Chamber Music Festival at Michigan State University.
The string quartet—Tyler J., Seth M., Ryan L., and Owen W.—won first place at the event, which was organized by the Michigan Chapter of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). The competition featured some of the top high school chamber ensembles from across Michigan, making the group’s achievement especially notable.
The quartet impressed judges with their musical precision, strong ensemble communication, and expressive performance. “The BEAR Quartet from St Joseph High School performed well beyond their years as the winners of the MASTA chamber music competition. It was my privilege to be their coach on the beautiful and expressive Florence Price string quartet”, said
Steve Reed, who coached the quartet as a part of the Fischoff Chamber Music Academy,
Chamber music is one of the most challenging forms of ensemble playing, requiring each musician to perform independently while working closely together without a conductor. “This is an incredible accomplishment for these students,” said Burke Lokey, the St. Joseph High School orchestra director. “They competed against some of the best young musicians in the state and represented our school at an exceptionally high level.”
Editor Note: Last names of students are not publicly released by the School per privacy policy.
