Q&A: Roseville String Ensemble Cofounder on the Group's Search for a New Home

As a co-founder, board member and violin player with the Roseville String Ensemble, Linda Owen knows the joys and challenges of helping lead the community music group. 

Started in 1998, the String Ensemble today has 35 members and plays a wide variety of music, said Owen, a former journalist and now staffer at Education Minnesota. The ensemble regularly performs with soloists from the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Patch conducted this Q&A with Owen to find out the score on the Roseville String Ensemble.   

Roseville Patch: What is the ensemble?

Linda Owen: We’re a community string orchestra, one of the few in the Twin Cities. Our members play violin, viola, cello, bass and piano. We perform music that's distinctly different from what you'll hear at most symphony concerts, music that makes the most of the string sound and calls for a high degree of ensemble playing.

In some ways, we're like a really big string quartet. You can see for yourself on CTV Channel 15 rebroadcasts of all our concerts.

Roseville Patch: What the goal of the ensemble?  

Owen: The orchestra was founded by Roseville-area string players who wanted to play in a community group close to home.

Our mission is to bring together adult amateurs to learn and perform ensemble music in settings that foster personal growth and satisfaction, and to provide opportunities to contribute to the community through the art of music.

Roseville Patch: Where do your members come from?

Owen: We have several music teachers, but also people in science, technology, PR, law and other fields. Our youngest players are probably in their 30s and the oldest is 92. A common story among our members is that they played their instrument when they were younger, dropped it for years or even decades, and started up again later in life.

As we've all grown as players, the orchestra has gotten better and better. We now have a wonderful conductor who brings out our best and has a real vision for our group. Jim Hainlen was an outstanding orchestra director at Stillwater Area High School for many years; he's also a graduate of the former Kellogg High School in the Roseville district.   

Roseville Patch: What kind of music do you play and how often does the orchestra perform?

Owen: You'll hear music from the Baroque and Classical eras and the golden age of British string music. But you'll also hear great pieces by modern composers such as Arvo Pärt and arrangements of sentimental favorites like "Danny Boy."

We have commissioned two works for our group and hope to do more.  

The Roseville String Ensemble presents three concerts a year—a spring and fall concert and a community carol sing-along concert at Christmas. The concerts are free, but we ask people to bring a food shelf donation.

We also perform at community events. Last fall we put on a “lullaby concert” of music and storytelling for young children at the . In summer and mid-winter, we offer chamber music programs for our players to help them grow musically and polish their skills.

Roseville Patch: What is  your source of funding?

Owen: Donations from our members, business sponsors and the public. We have received foundation grants for special projects. We'd like to find more sponsors. 

Roseville Patch: What is the biggest strength  of the group?

Owen: Enthusiasm and dedication. 

Roseville Patch: What are your weaknesses?

Owen: Like most volunteer organizations, we rely too heavily on a small group of people to run the show.

Roseville Patch:What is the biggest challenge facing the ensemble?

Owen: We're running into problems finding performance space in Roseville. Without a community performance venue here, our options are limited.

The ensemble outgrew two church venues, and since then we've performed at Concordia Academy and Roseville Area Middle School.  This fall it looks like we'll be performing outside Roseville for the first time.  Our Christmas venue is also becoming booked with church events and we may have to look elsewhere.

Roseville Patch: What is your vision for the future?

Owen: We'd like more people and businesses in this community to know about us, come to our concerts and support us. I would love to see a "Friends of the Roseville Strings" group formed to help build this group into a true community institution.

You can follow the Roseville String Ensemble on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rosevillestrings.