A vital force in the Minneapolis music scene with reach far beyond it, the Laurels String Quartet has supported stars including Father John Misty, Semisonic, and Ondara, but its members have rarely occupied the spotlight themselves. This March, the Laurels will host a five-week residency, joined by a rotating cast of exceptional artists from their creative orbit, resulting in one-of-a-kind collaborations that unfold live, in the room, only at Berlin. Every Sunday, the Laurels String Quartet will perform two seatings rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and artistic expression.

For the inaugural evening of the Laurels’ residency, storytellers Annie Humphrey and Barbara Cohen will present a program of moving, evocative new arrangements alongside the quartet and go-to guitarist Jeremy Ylvisaker.

Doors for the first set will open at 5:30 p.m., while doors for the second set will open at 7:45 p.m.

Laurels String Quartet:
Josh Misner - Violin
Devan Moran - Violin
Erica Burton - Viola
Jacqueline Ultan - Cello

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Annie Humphrey is a grandmother, veteran, seamstress, visual artist, seasonal gift harvester who writes songs and sings them during "the in between.” OR maybe she is a singer/songwriter, grandmother, seamstress, visual artist who harvests Earth gifts during "the in between." OR maybe she just does her best to fit it all in where it all fits in. So far, it works for her.

BUT, the purpose for this bio is to say a bit about Annie as a singer/songwriter. The age old question is: How long does it take to write a song?

Annie’s answer: "My whole life. We all have our own stories: the ones we live, the ones we tell ourselves in our head, the ones we post on social media. Which [ones are] real? I try to articulate my reality through songs that have been forming in my head since I began my ceremony of life."

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Minneapolis native Barbara Cohen is an award-winning composer, singer, and songwriter whose luminous voice and cross-genre artistry span folk, electronica, and modern cinematic soundscapes. A founding member of Brother Sun Sister Moon (Virgin Records) and former frontwoman of Farm Accident (Red House Records), Cohen has collaborated with England’s electronic pioneers Orbital and France’s Air and released the acclaimed solo album California. Her work has been praised as “a gorgeous, dark-streaked evocation of bitter truths, yearning, and redemption” (City Pages) and for “an absolutely breathtaking voice” (Iowa City Press Citizen). Now back in Minneapolis after years in Los Angeles composing for film and television, Cohen continues to create with Little Lizard—her long-time collaborators Jacqueline Ultan, Jeremy Ylvisaker, and Marc Anderson—with a new EP planned for 2026. Her work endures for its clarity, depth, and patience: reminders that reinvention can be as simple as returning home to the sound that’s always been yours.

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After a chance meeting over a decade ago, the Laurels String Quartet (LSQ) quickly became a staple of the Minneapolis music scene. Their collective instinct for tuning into the emotional frequency of a song has amassed the group collaborators near and far. Artists such as Belle & Sebastian, Father John Misty, Lucius, jeremy messersmith, Macklemore, Dan Wilson, Jason Mraz, Rogue Valley, Motion City Soundtrack, the New Standards, Ondara, and Semisonic have sought their company on stage and in the studio. Individually, the quartet members have a broad and diverse resume of work as collaborators, recording artists, composers, improvisors, and educators. The quartet has appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, PBS, The Current, and NPR and has performed on stages across the country, from the celebrated outdoor festival Rock The Garden at the Walker Art Center to the Barclays Center arena in Brooklyn, NY.