California Quartet

Since its formation in the millennium year 2000, the California Quartet has emerged as one of the most promising young chamber ensembles of the United States. Audience response to the CQ is always positively tremendous. In particular, the quartet is noted for their spirited musicality, lyric and soulful playing ability, charismatic onstage demeanor, and interactive ensemble style.

Passionate and personable, the members of the CQ naturally bring the audience and performer closer through thoughtful and convincing musical interpretations, and by integrating lively and relevant commentary about each work they perform. Besides embracing and presenting traditional quartet repertoire, it is of great interest to the group to build audience appreciation and understanding of twentieth and twenty-first century works. This commitment to bringing new and interesting ideas to audiences has already led to commissions by professional composers.

For the summer of 2005, the quartet has been invited to attend the Shouse Institute at the Great Lakes Music Festival, the Lake Tahoe Music Festival Academy, The Yehudi Menuhin Chamber Music Seminar, and the Banff Art Centre Chamber Music Seminar. Last summer, the quartet participated in the Juilliard Quartet Seminar in New York, the Lake Tahoe Music Festival Academy, and the Banff Short-term Career Residency Program. In addition to their numerous concert appearances, the California Quartet is strongly committed to school education and outreach projects. Other recent quartet projects include the recording of their first CD, currently in the final stages of production, as well as an ongoing collaboration with USC faculty pianist Kevin Fitz-Gerald.

The artists of the California Quartet collectively perform, often in principal positions, in numerous professional ensembles including the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Opera Pacific Orchestra, and the San Diego Chamber Orchestra. Their educational backgrounds include the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Rice University, and the University of Southern California. Individual musical experiences are far-reaching and include performances with violinist Mark O'Connor, pianist Claude Frank, principal players of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, solo electric fiddle performances with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, participation in summer festivals such as Tanglewood, Aspen, Taos, Meadowmount, Schleswig-Holstein, and Spoleto, as well as appearances in New York's Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, the Barge Music Series, and Carnegie Hall. Members of the California Quartet have won Grand Prize in the Coleman National Chamber Music Competition, First Prize in the Ulrich Competition, Second Prize in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, and the distinction of Finalist in the Concert Artist's Guild International Competition.

The California Quartet comprises artists of great individuality and widespread artistic backgrounds. In joining musical forces, they have found a single point of inspiration in which to blend their talents and well-rounded experiences. With energetic intensity and musical sincerity, the California Quartet will continue to delight audiences across the country.