String Quartet Serenades Those Getting Vaccines
City of Corpus Christi
CORPUS CHRISTI (News Release) - The sound of classical music greeted attendees receiving their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine Thursday at the American Bank Center Vaccine Site, hosted by Driscoll Children’s Hospital and the City of Corpus Christi.
Performing was the Viano String Quartet, usually based at the Colbern School in Los Angeles but currently doing an Ensemble-in-Residence for the 2020-2021 academic year at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas.
“It’s a calming thing. It’s a celebration,” said Mary Dale Peterson, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Driscoll Health System, as the quartet played in the background.
“The Viano String Quartet is one of the great up-and-coming quartets in the world,” said John Bell, President, Corpus Christi Chamber Music Society, which brought the concert to the vaccine site at the American Bank Center. The Viano String Quartet, an internationally-recognized young group of performers, won joint first place at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition at Banff, Alberta, Canada.
H-E-B provided the Corpus Christi Chamber Music Society with a grant for community outreach, and Bell called Dr. Peterson, thinking a concert for those receiving vaccinations at the joint City of Corpus Christi and Driscoll Children’s Hospital Vaccine Site at the American Bank Center would be a perfect match.
“Let’s do it,” Dr. Peterson told him, adding, “We would love to hear such lovely music at our vaccine clinic.”
Several people being vaccinated expressed their approval of the concert.
“It’s nice. I really enjoyed it. It’s very relaxing after all the energy spent on fighting COVID-19,” said Corpus Christi resident Reese Hunt, whose granddaughter plays violin.
“I think it’s great,” said Nolen Culp, of Corpus Christi.
And for the group itself, the performance was something to remember.
“It’s special to perform in front of such an audience,” said violinist Lucy Wang, adding this was the first time they had performed at a COVID-19 vaccine site.