The Little Eddie Big Cup Mental Health Awareness Fund of the Door County Community Foundation has awarded a grant to the Griffon String Quartet in recognition of its impactful work with seniors, particularly those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as their caregivers.
The Quartet’s B Double Sharp program creates a warm, inclusive atmosphere where seniors and their support networks can gather to experience live music, connect with others on similar journeys, and reflect on the challenges of aging and memory loss. Through interactive miniconcerts, B Double Sharp programs foster a sense of community, offering not just music but meaningful opportunities for emotional support and shared learning.
“This funding allows us to expand our reach throughout Door County and deepen our commitment to supporting the mental health of seniors through music,” said Midsummers Music’s Executive Director, Allyson Fleck. “We are incredibly grateful to the Little Eddie Big Cup Fund for making this possible.”
The grant will enable the Griffon String Quartet to:
- Reach more seniors across Door County
- Purchase sheet music for performances
- Enhance marketing and public relations efforts
- Produce concert videos for shut-ins and long-term care residents
- Rent performance venues
- Support collaborative efforts with local community partners
The Griffon String Quartet, an affiliate of Midsummer’s Music, continues to build innovative programs that use the power of music to uplift and connect communities—particularly those facing the isolating effects of age-related cognitive decline.
For more information about the Griffon String Quartet and its community programming, visit midsummersmusic.com.
One of the most vibrant and engaging quartets of its generation, the Griffon String Quartet was formed in the fall of 2018 as a collaboration led by Midsummer’s Music. GSQ enriches the lives of children and adults throughout northeast Wisconsin through concerts, workshops, and music education outreach. The extraordinary musicians, who have performed with orchestras and ensembles around the globe, are equally dedicated to music education and inspiring the next generation of music lovers. Each member of the Griffon String Quartet has advanced degrees and significant professional experience, both as educators and performers, and they have been recognized for “their youthful vigor, which is absolutely infectious!”
Midsummer’s Music was co-founded in 1990 by Jim and Jean Berkenstock, long-time Door County summer residents and principal orchestral players with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. What began as two concerts among friends has become one of the Midwest’s most anticipated chamber music series, bringing thousands of chamber music enthusiasts from around the globe to the magical Door County Peninsula.
For more information visit www.midsummersmusic.com.
High-resolution photo: https://www.midsummersmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/img_1113.jpeg
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For calendar listings:
Early to Moderate Stages of Dementia
Griffon String Quartet
Midsummer’s Music and Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay will host Clara Takarabe, violist and clinical music researcher with the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, for a series of clinical music performances and talks throughout Door County. The Musical Museum is a dementia-informed life-enrichment program featuring musical performances by Takarabe and the Griffon String Quartet intertwined with commentary and discussion around sound, music and poetry. The program takes care to acknowledge intellectual and social needs of this stage of life.
November 13, 2:00pm: Third Avenue PlayWorks, Sturgeon Bay
November 14, 2:00pm: Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek
Gather with the Griffon
“Gather with the Griffon” miniconcerts are designed for midday audiences. B Double Sharp programs engage the mind and spirit through music and conversation.
Program: Selections from the Griffon’s repertoire
Roy Meyer and Alex Norris, Violins, Oyrann Tsaig, Viola,Jesse Nummelin, Cello
October 21, 12:00pm: First Presbyterian Church, Green Bay
December 10, 1:00pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
Griffon String Quartet Holiday Concerts
A selection of holiday favorites
String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor • Ralph Vaughan-Williams
String Quartet Op. 131, No. 14 in C-sharp Minor • Ludwig van Beethoven
Enjoy light seasonal refreshments at the post-concert reception.
Roy Meyer & Alex Norris, violins, Oryann Tsaig, viola, Jesse Nummelin, cello
December 12, 6:30pm: Belgian Heritage Center, Brussels
December 13: 5:00pm: Hope United Church of Christ, Sturgeon Ba
December 14: 3:00pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Green Bay
December 15: 3:00pm: Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor