Local music lovers will have a chance to experience splendid chamber works performed by some of the world’s most talented young artists as The Castleman Quartet Program launches its ninth season in residence at SUNY Fredonia.

The Quartet Program’s 2014 concert season begins with a recital tonight at 7:30 p.m., featuring violist Basil Vendryes and violinist Charles Castleman, followed by a weekend of quartet and solo concerts June 26-29. All concerts take place at Mason Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus.

The Castleman Quartet Program, now in its 45th season, is a seven-week workshop that brings together 36 gifted and accomplished string players, ages 14 to 28. In residence at SUNY Fredonia from June 8 to July 27, this summer’s participants come from across the United States, China, Korea, Austria and Canada, including many who study at the world’s leading music schools and have significant competition and performance accolades to their credit. Each participant learns and performs one solo work and two string quartets working under the conditions of a professional position, to further develop their solo and ensemble skills.

This year’s distinguished faculty includes violinists Charles Castleman (also Program Director), Laura Bossert and Susan Waterbury; violists Allyson Dawkins, Csaba Erdelyi, John Kochanowski, George Taylor, and Basil Vendryes; cellists Alan Harris, Terry King, Thomas Landschoot, Mark Rudoff, and Peter Seidenberg; and chamber music coach Kyoko Hashimoto.

Yo-Yo Ma calls The Quartet Program, “The best program of its kind, a training ground for lifemanship.”

Alumni have won prizes at the Tchaikovsky, Brussels, Munich, Naumburg, Leventritt and Szeryng solo competitions and, in 40 professional ensembles, have won every major national and international chamber competition.

Concerts by the participants and guest artists will be presented in Juliet Rosch Recital Hall and in Diers Recital Hall in Mason Hall on the SUNY Fredonia campus, in three time periods: June 26-28, July 2-7, and July 23-26. For the complete schedule, visit www.fredonia.edu/music/news/enews/index.asp. Admission is with a recommended contribution of $5 for participant concerts. The Quartet Program is a registered non-profit organization; donations are welcome and gratefully received.

The participants will also perform free concerts in the community. Venues will include Reed Library at SUNY Fredonia, the Big Dipper Ice Cream Shop (Dunkirk), the Chautauqua County Home, Woodbury Vineyards’ Art Gallery (Fredonia), and the Barker Gazebo (Downtown Fredonia). For information on hosting one of these community concerts, email The Quartet Program at followquartetprogram @gmail.com.

For further information, visit the website at www.facebook.com/followquartetprogram, or contact one of the Deans by email at followquartetprogram@gmail.com.