About this event
Glass House String Quartet returns to Vashon with exciting new repertoire of classical and contemporary chamber music. Celebrating the work of Portland composer and Grammy winner Caroline Shaw, we explore music that expands our palletes and entices our palates. Ravel and Mozart join the conversation with string quartets evoking fall color and coziness. Listen for responses from Shaw. We will be transported together in this "secret concert" set in a stunning glass house on the Vashon waterfront as the sun descends toward the Olympic Mountains. The sensory tableau is completed with delicious food and drink inspired by the occasion. We will serve small plates of seasonal fare throughout the program.
Come join us for an unforgettable evening!
2:00pm patio open
3:00pm concert and food pairings
Exact concert address will be provided upon ticket purchase! Please contact for any dietary constraints or accessibility needs.
About the Music
Caroline Shaw’s music moves us deeply as a quartet. To us, her use of extended string techniques bridges the gap from voice to pure tone to noise and back. When playing her music, we feel the string quartet not as a separate music-producing phenomenon, but as a part of the whole wide world of sounds the human voice, human architecture, and musical instruments create. She captures the feeling of ancient chant in solo pizzicato in the cello and viola. Her sound worlds evoke the whisper of leaves and the patter of raindrops.
We share Entr’acte (2011) with you to introduce Shaw’s voice, and Plan and Elevation (2016) to explore the range of phenomena and ideas her soundscapes can suggest. Shaw originally wrote Plan and Elevation to celebrate the architecture and beauty of the famed grounds of Dumbarton Oaks. We have found her piece universal and timeless: in it we see the beauty of Vashon, West Seattle, the glass house where we’ll be performing, and the glint of the sun on the Puget Sound.
In between these masterpieces, you will enjoy two timeless pieces of the quartet repertoire Shaw uses as quotations in Plan and Elevation, the first quartet Mozart wrote for his mentor Franz Joseph Haydn, and two movements of the immeasurable Ravel quartet. Encores from the Danish String Quartet’s beautiful transcriptions of Nordic folk songs round out a magical afternoon.
About the Musicians
The musicians of Glass House String Quartet are lifelong friends and artistic collaborators. They have come together in ensembles of different shapes and sizes over the last 10 years, from chamber orchestras to music festivals to chamber music series in Seattle, Spokane, and Yakima. Together they create artistic experiences celebrating small communities, the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and the love of family.
Violinist Vanessa Moss has built a career on shaping phrases that move and inspire. For her, the process matters most: weaving exploration, discipline, and humanity into musical performance. She serves as Concertmaster of the Walla Walla Symphony and the Mid-Columbia Symphony, and as violinist with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra. She was the founder and Artistic Director of Sempre Chamber Music, a chamber series that reimagined itself during the pandemic through streamed concerts in collaboration with Pat Strosahl (1947–2022) and The Seasons Performance Hall. An enthusiastic educator, Ms. Moss runs Moss Violin Studio based in Yakima, WA. She cultivates determination, creativity, and a view of music as both discipline and joy. Her students regularly win concerto competitions, advance to State Solo and Ensemble, and have gone on to study music at the collegiate level.
Allion Salvador performs across the Pacific Northwest as both violinist and conductor. He served as music director of Federal Way Youth Orchestra from 2023 to 2025. He doubled the orchestra's size, led a side-by-side with Central Washington University orchestra students, and collaborated with CWU’s Mariachi Ensemble. In Fall 2024, he led a full production of The Nutcracker at CWU in collaboration with Ellensburg Dance Ensemble. He performs as a pops conductor for Candlelight Concerts and leads West Seattle Community Orchestra’s Concert Orchestra. As a violinist, Mr. Salvador is a member of Spokane Symphony’s awesome second violin section, a concertmaster at Seattle’s Paramount Theater, and a leader at Missoula-based String Orchestra of the Rockies. He was the 1st prize winner of the 2021 Music International Grand Prix.
Praised for his expressive sound and commanding artistry, Gerald Liu was honored to hold the position of section violist with the Seattle Symphony during its 2024–25 season. He is a member of Spokane Symphony and Symphony Tacoma. Gerald has won fellowships with the National Repertory Orchestra and the Round Top Festival Institute. He is deeply committed to sharing music through education. He coaches through Seattle, Federal Way, and Bellevue Youth Symphonies. He also helps teach music to underserved communities in Seattle through the Michael J. Owen Music Education Fund.
Lauren McShane is a passionate cellist based in Seattle, Washington, whose love for music began at an early age. She was introduced to the cello at the age of seven and immediately fell in love with its rich and soulful sound. After receiving her Bachelors degree at Brown University, she moved to Seattle where she began to enjoy exploring alternative music. She began performing regularly with Portland Cello Project, a group aimed to take the cello to places you wouldn’t normally experience a cello. She also performs with Boise Philharmonic, Seattle Rock Orchestra, and the Seattle Metropolitan Orchestra. Lauren is a dedicated music educator, teaching a full private cello studio and coaching with Seattle Youth Symphony.
About the Food and Venue
Our astonishing chef, David Ferris, has crafted a delectable menu of small plates for guests to enjoy throughout the musical progarm. These fall flavors draw inspiration from the compositions and the unique setting, both of which he knows well as the partner of our cellist and as a Vashon native used to living off this land. Before running off to pursue a PhD in philosophy, David's adventures included cofounding a cooperatively owned and run bed and breakfast in Brooklyn.
We will strive to make dietary accomodations for those who let us know in advance that they are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free, or inquire about another concern. We will serve a variety of drinks as well.
Ruth True has graciously opened the doors of her one-of-a-kind glass house once again. It is a reflection of her bold and generous spirit, full of appreciation for the stunning locale, the arts, the power of bring it all together. Ruth's manifold exploits have included originating an eco-conscious mercantile, producing her expansive podcast Mindful Consuming, operating her own catering company, and co-founding the SODO gallery, Western Bridge.
Perched above Colvos Passage, the glass house is an incredible place to perform and a magical setting to enjoy chamber music.
Parking
Parking will be on Burma road and we will have attendants direct you to your spot. Please allow at least 15 minutes to park and walk the gravel path to the venue. Sturdy shoes are recommended. We will be shuttling anyone who needs a lift from parking down to the glass house. Let us know in advance if you have any concerns about accessibility.
Seating
Seating will be first come first serve. It will be outside the glass house (weather permitting). Please bring a sweater or coat as the weather drops after the sun goes down.
