Projects
It all begins with a piece of music we want to bring to life. To see what we’re planning for future seasons, please take a look at our programs for the upcoming season. We are open to discussing programming and collaborations to curate the right program for your audiences!
-
Mozart : String Quartet No. 18 in A Major [30']
Borodin: String Quartet No. 2 in D Major [29’]
--intermission--
Schubert : String Quartet No. 13 “Rosamunde” [39’]
Total: 98 minutes
This program showcases the many ways in which composers are influenced by the people around them. Through the express musical homages towards their dedicatees, namely Mozart to Haydn, Borodin to his wife, and Schubert to Ignaz Schuppanzigh, these works inspire us in turn, reminding us that music cannot be possible without mentorship, love, and collegial inspiration.
-
Bach: Chaconne in D Minor arr. for String Quartet [15']
Juri Seo: Overgrown Paths (2025) [15']
--intermission--
Purcell: Chaconne in G Minor arr. by Britten [7']
Britten: String Quartet No. 2 [32']
Total: 69 minutes
This program showcases the Chaconne, known for its recurring bass lines that anchor pieces in a slow triple meter. Bach and Purcell give us the Baroque Chaconne, while Seo and Britten offer the Chaconne within their uniquely modern musical language.
-
Maddelena Casulana: Madrigals [5']
Britten: String Quartet No. 3 in G Major [27']
--intermission--
Beethoven: Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132 [45']
Total: 72 minutes
Introduced by Maddelena Casulana’s madrigals for string quartet, this program pairs Britten’s third and final string quartet with Beethoven’s monumental Op. 132 quartet - these two pieces share many similarities, both written late in the composers’ life, and both drawing from Renaissance influences.
-
Benjamin Britten - String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25
Joseph Haydn - String Quartet in G Major Op. 33 No. 5
Szymon Laks - String Quartet No. 3 “On Polish Folk Tunes”
-
See below for more information on our overall Britten Project, to which our programs “A Chaconne Journey” and “Renaissance and Recovery” belong.
Benjamin Britten Project
String Quartet No. 1 in D Major — String Quartet No. 2 in C Major — String Quartet No. 3 in G Major
with Purcell, Beethoven, Juri Seo, and more
Britten’s music has always felt very personal to us. His music has the ability to transport us to an otherworldly and spiritual place, safe from the trepidations of war, political turmoil, and injustice. Britten himself was a pacifist and a conscientious objector. At the same time, his music also channels the most raw and unfiltered of human emotion, and it allows us to express feelings of fear, loneliness, nostalgia, or sorrow in the most vulnerable but cathartic of ways. In this modern world, Britten’s music brings us solace and understanding as we navigate our lives as both musicians and members of our global society. We will be performing and recording Britten’s three string quartets throughout the course of the upcoming season, pairing them with pieces that relate closely to his life, compositional process, and inspirations. We appreciate any and all support in this journey - we welcome opportunities to perform programs from our Britten project, as well as donations to help us with recording our first album dedicated to this project.
Education and Community
We believe in giving back to our communities through our shared love for music, learning, and growth.
As the Yale School of Music Fellowship Quartet-in-Residence through 2027, we work closely with talented undergraduate students from Yale College. We coach their chamber groups regularly and meet altogether for studio class performances once every two weeks.
As the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts Ernst Stiefel Quartet-in-Residence in the 2024-2025 season, we visited over fifteen classrooms across the greater New York City region and worked on ensemble playing, musical expression, and more.
As the 2023-2024 Project Music Heals Us Ensemble-in-Residence, we brought music to residents at retirement communities, hospices, schools, and the NYC Department of Corrections.
We continue to offer a wide variety of masterclasses, group coaching, string lessons, and performance workshops. We believe everyone should have access to art and music, and we aim to bring the joy of string quartet playing and open conversations surrounding teamwork, resilience, and creativity to as many communities as possible!
