ABEO QUARTET – PERFORMANCE LINK
Abeo means “to bring joy”— this is the aim of the Abeo Quartet as they perform and engage with audiences across the country. Abeo is currently the inaugural Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the University of Delaware under the tutelage of the Calidore String Quartet. Formed at The Juilliard School in 2018, they have studied with members of the Alban Berg, Ebene, Takács, Artemis, Miro, Emerson, and Brentano Quartets. Most recently, the Abeo Quartet was selected as a finalist in the 2021 Young Concert Artists International Competition, and previous accolades include the silver medal winner of the 2019 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition, among others. The Abeo Quartet is compelled to integrate its music with the societal issues that grip humanity today.
AERO QUARTET – PERFORMANCE LINK
Praised by Pulitzer Prize finalist and Grammy-winning composer Augusta Read Thomas for their “nuanced, colorful, and artfully sculpted” interpretations, the Aero Quartet is committed to promoting new and traditional chamber music for the saxophone. Aero’s performances are consistently recognized for their versatility and contrast, with original works and arrangements spanning centuries of musical tradition. The quartet has won numerous awards in chamber music competitions, including First Prizes at the New Orleans Chamber Festival, Music Teachers National Association, and Briggs Chamber Music Competitions. Most notably, Aero won the Gold Medal in the Senior Wind Division of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. In fall of 2021, Aero completed a residency at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in Boscawen, New Hampshire before embarking on a Midwest performance and educational outreach tour. The tour included performances at Thiel College, the Con Spirito Chamber Music Series, Valparaiso Concert Association, Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, Merrimans’ Playhouse Chamber Arts Series, and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert broadcast live on WFMT Chicago. The quartet conducted clinics for hundreds of middle and high school students in multiple states. The mission of these school visits is captured perfectly in the endearing written reflection of a beginning band student from Southbend, IN, who stated, “I personally really like chamber music now, especially if it’s played with saxophones!”
TRIO COLORES – PERFORMANCE LINK
Hailing from both Austria and Switzerland, Matthias Kessler, Luca Stafffelbach, and Fabian Ziegler, connect a longstanding passion for percussion with a visible joy in performing music. These qualities magically combine into Trio Colores. Playing as an ensemble since 2017, the repertoire of the trio spreads over a large spectrum of 20th century percussion masterpieces by Iannis Xenakis, Steve Reich and John Cage alongside works by living composers such as Ivan Trevino, Emmanuel Séjourné, and Theirry de Mey. Their knowledge of classical and contemporary music, combined with their interest in challenging the traditional boundaries of modern music, result in creative, ambitious, and uniquely arranged concert programs. The trio shares with audiences both the versatility of percussion instruments and the fascinating always growing new timbres they provide.
ELLESS QUARTET – PERFORMANCE LINK
Grand Prize winners of the 7th Annual Coltman Chamber Music Competition, The Elless Quartet was formed in 2019 at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Comprised of violinists Emera Gurath and Megan Lin, violist Marcus Stevenson, and cellist Cecelia Swanson, the ensemble primarily works with Si-Yan Li, Todd Phillips, and Philip Setzer. They have also performed in masterclasses given by members of the Emerson, Orion, Dover, and Miami String Quartets. In 2021, the ensemble was selected by members of Alban Berg and Artemis quartets and Director André Roy to participate at the prestigious McGill International String Quartet Academy (MISQA). In addition, the members of the ensemble have participated in renowned music festivals such as the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, Meadowmount School of Music, the New York String Orchestra Seminar, and Saint Paul Chamber Music Institute. With their diverse backgrounds and experiences, the quartet strives to connect with a wide range of audiences while representing a bright and eclectic future for the world of chamber music.
TERRA STRING QUARTET – WEBSITE LINK
The Terra String Quartet is a vibrant young ensemble based in New York City. Hailing from five continents, these four musicians share a mission to perform chamber music with intellectual and emotional vitality. The quartet has performed in such venues as Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and have been featured on WQXR’s Midday Masterpieces. They have attended festivals including Four Seasons Chamber Music’s Winter Workshop and have collaborated with artists such as Robert McDonald, Natasha Brofsky, Catherine Cho and the Cremona Quartet.The Terra String Quartet is represented by Le Dimore del Quartetto in Italy, Si-Yo Music Foundation in NJ/NY and is the first quartet to have been chosen to pursue the Four Seasons Chamber Music String Quartet Fellowship at East Carolina University.