 |
Festival Quartet- |
|---|
Chiara String Quartet: The Chiara String Quartet (Rebbeca Fischer, violin; Julie Yoon, violin; Jonah Sirota, viola; Gregory Beaver, cello) is at the forefront of a new generation of exceptional American quartets. Awarded the 2003-2005 Lisa Arnhold Residency at the Juilliard School, the quartet also won First Prize at the 2002 Fischoff Competition, Second Prize at the 2002 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and in the same year won the Astral Artistic Services National Auditions, placing it on the Astral roster of outstanding young artists launching major professional careers. In the words of Tim Smith of The Baltimore Sun, "...the award-winning foursome clearly has what it takes to make a lasting mark in the chamber music world. "
The Chiara has thrilled audiences with its performances, recently including a live appearance on N.P.R.'s Performance Today, an electrifying Alice Tully Hall debut, and a special concert at the American Academy in Rome. It has collaborated with Dawn Upshaw, Norman Fischer, Paul Katz, and James Tocco, as well as members of the Orion, Cavani, and Ying Quartets. Highlights of the 2004-2005 season include New York concerts at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall (under Astral's auspices), Alice Tully Hall, and Columbia University's Miller Theatre, as well as performances across the United States and in Europe.
The Chiara is well known both as an interpreter of the established quartet repertoire, and as a champion of great new pieces from today's most interesting composers. Upcoming world premieres include 2003 Rome Prize-winner Jefferson Friedman's String Quartet No. 3 (commissioned by the Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music) and G. Schirmer composer Gabriela Lena Frank's new piano quintet, Ghosts in the Dream Machine, written for the Chiara Quartet and pianist Simone Dinnerstein (co-commissioned by Astral Artistic Services). The quartet will also inaugurate New Voice Singles in the fall of 2004 with a series of CDs each containing a world premiere recording of a new work, starting with Robert Sirota?s Triptych, a powerful 9/11 tribute.
The Chiara Quartet's commitment to building new audiences for chamber music goes far beyond the confines of the concert hall. The members of the quartet help to introduce diverse audiences to the power of quartet music through performance in schools and communities. They have given masterclasses at Cincinnati College-Conservatory, Rice University, Musicorda, and the University of Notre Dame. In addition, they mentor the next generation of gifted musicians through their teaching at Juilliard, Greenwood, Chamber Music at Snowmass, and at their new summer festival, Red River Chamber Music in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It is in that community that the quartet started its career as recipient of a 2000-2002 Chamber Music America Rural Residency. Chiara [key-ARE-uh] is an Italian word, meaning clear, pure, or light.
Visit the Chiara String Quartet website