Miller-Porfiris Duo

The Miller Porfiris Duo (Anton Miller, violin and Rita Porfiris, viola) has been delighting audiences since 2005. Past seasons have seen tours around the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East; appearances on the Chamber Music of Little Rock, Chamber Music Pittsburgh, Tel Aviv Museum, and Sheldon Friends of Music series; and in major concert halls worldwide.

On faculty of The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, the duo has been in residency and given seminars and masterclasses at festivals and institutions such as New York University, Duke University, Kutztown University, University of New Mexico, the Foulger Festival, St. George International Festival in Greece, ARIA International Arts Academy at Mt. Holyoke College, Three Bridges International Chamber Music Festival at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Conciertos de la Villa Santo Domingo, the Harpa International and Iceland Academy for the Arts. In 2017, they were appointed co-directors of the Point Counterpoint Chamber Music camp and started a partnership with the Harpa International Academy and Icelandic Chamber Festival. In 2020 they created a partnership with the Music and More SummerFest in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Committed to expanding the repertoire for violin and viola, in 2010 they commissioned and recorded 3 new works for violin and viola by Belize-born British composer Errollyn Wallen, Argentinean composer Mario Diaz Gavier, and American composer Libby Larsen for their debut CD Five Postcards. Their second CD, titled Eight Pieces and released in 2013, was deemed a “fine new recording” and praised for its “wonderfully smooth ensemble work” and “vibrant and focused” playing by Gramophone and Audible Audiophile Magazines. Recent acclaim from Fanfare for the Duo's third CD, entitled Divertimenti declares their playing "a lightning bolt" and speaks to the "color, fire, and passion." Their fourth CD, released in early 2020 and featuring the music of Bright Sheng, Augusta Read Thomas, Mani Mirzaee and Krzysztof Penderecki, was quoted in American Record Guide as being “one of the top ten albums I’ve ever reviewed.” The Duo’s diverse repertoire has been further expanded during the pandemic. The Fall of 2020 saw the duo featured in 9 cross-continental premiere performances of music by women composers at the Spitalfields Festival in London, held virtually; and for The Uncertainty of Fate Festival, a five day streaming festival of over 100 musicians, dancers and writers sponsored by the University of Hartford this past May, they commissioned 21 of the 39 premiered works. The Whole Note Magazine has said of MP2: “You would have to go a long way to hear better duo playing than this.” For more information please visit www.millerporfirisduo.org.

Upcoming Concerts: Silent Movie Shorts May 28, 2025