Help Bring Alyssa & Zachary's Music to Life

On August 24, 2024, Alyssa Roggow and Zachary Walter, along with the musicians of the Kestrel String Quartet, will premier two new works for string quartet, one written by Alyssa and the other by Zachary. The concert will take place in the mountainous woodlands of Sculpture in the Wild in Lincoln, MT, and we need your help to get the musicians there!

Most of the 2024 concert expenses are covered, thanks to a generous grant from the Montana Arts Council, lodging donated by some wonderful friends of the arts, and the support of the concert venue. Our fundraising goal of $1200 will cover the remaining travel fees for Zachary and the quartet musicians.

This project grew out of an ongoing collaboration between Zachary and Alyssa, which began in 2016 when we were co-workers in the Bloomingfoods deli in Bloomington, IN. Zachary served the best sandwiches, while Alyssa spilled salad dressing. Upon discovering a shared love of music, Zachary invited Alyssa to record some tracks in his studio, and we’ve been working together ever since. Most of our collaborations have been remote, so this is our first chance to work together in-person since those early Bloomington days.

A bit about us:

Zachary Walter’s musical scores can be heard in award-winning feature-length films, documentaries, podcasts, and in albums of his own creation. He is thrilled to work with the Kestrel Quartet to design a sonic landscape for string quartet and electronics, grounded in the beauty of string instruments and enriched by the sounds of nature.

Alyssa Roggow was principal violist of the Great Falls Symphony and violist of the Cascade String Quartet from 2018-2023. This concert marks a return to a love of composing that she had as a child, and will be the first public performance of her compositions since her 7th grade viola quartet performed a piece she and her best friend wrote together. Her new work for string quartet features the poetry of Patrice de la Tour du Pin, translated from the French by Jennifer Grotz.

This project is special to us for so many reasons, not least of which is the chance to share it with our friends and family who have been such an important and cherished part of our lives and musical journeys. A video of the concert will be available to view in September 2024. We are so grateful for your continued support of our work!

With thanks,

Alyssa Roggow

Zachary Walter