Acceptance into the Ann Walenta String Quartet is one of the finest testimonies to a to a Wichita State student’s musical talent they can receive. With its perks of scholarship money and regional recognition, being in the group demands dedication and commitment of greater measure than those of the average student.

“It is a great responsibility and pleasure to be a part of the Walenta String Quartet,” said Luis Salazar, first violinist for the ensemble.

Avila and Jorge Ortiz Moreno, who plays cello in the ensemble are also international students in the dorms. They have been spotted practicing at odd hours in a number of silent corners in the dorms, empty study rooms, game rooms or even the Wheatshocker lobby.

“Sometimes, I miss our other life outside of music. Oh, wait… what other life?” Salazar said.

Balancing academics with the commitment Walenta String Quartet demands is difficult. Their days begin early. Every Monday, Moreno ‘crawls out’ of bed at 8 a.m. and goes to rehearsal with his pianist at 9:30 a.m. From 10:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. he is constantly in classes and breaks only for lunch hour.

In the evening, he helps conduct a contemporary orchestra. He then packs in more practice and more homework, which takes him into the wee hours. Yet Moreno cracks jokes and speaks with a smile especially when talking about music.

This past weekend, the quartet participated in the Wolff-Bing Chamber Music competition, an annual prestigious event in which Wichita quartets compete against each other for prestige and prizes. The pressure is high, the Walenta musicians say. The winning ensemble is granted $6000 as scholarship, while the second the third places are awarded $3000 and $1500 respectively.

“We really don’t know who’s gonna win (Wolff-Bing),” Lauren Betts, second violinist in Walenta said. “Everyone who is participating is really talented and extremely dedicated.”

Of the four ensembles that went on to participate, the list narrowed down to three with the Walenta String Quartet proceeding to the finals on the 13^th of April.

“It felt to me like they have a lot of positive energy as they were playing. A lot of it was very clean and you can tell that they enjoy working together,” said Aliyah Richling, a graduate student in vocal performance who watched the ensemble perform during their spring recital.

On the 14^th of April, the Walenta String Quartet secured the first place in the Wolff-Bing competition.

“I am not surprised (about Walenta’s success), knowing these musicians as I do and the outstanding work that they do,” said Mark Laycock, the Symphony conductor at WSU. “I’m glad to see that they have progressed and know that they are representing WSU with fine musicianship.”