Biography
The Old City String Quartet has won the praise of some of the greatest chamber musicians of our time. Formed at the Curtis Institute of Music in 2008, the ensemble draws from the musical lineage of both the Vermeer and Guarneri quartets, but brings a youthful enthusiasm and musical conviction to the repertoire that is truly its own. Joseph Silverstein said of the group: "The Old City String Quartet is one of the finest string quartets I have ever heard. I expect to see the ensemble reach international acclaim."
The ensemble's recording of the Mendelssohn and Debussy quartets, released in 2009 by the audiophile label Unipheye Music, was awarded the Blue Moon award by the highly respected audiophile website 6moons.com. The album's review by David Kan proclaimed that "...the maturity in these interpretations is phenomenal and disproportionate to the age [of the group.]"
Members of the Quartet have appeared as soloists with some of the world's finest orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony and BBC Concert Orchestra.
The Old City String Quartet was named Gold Medalist and Grand Prize winner of the 2010 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, was awarded Second Prize in the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and as an ensemble has attended music festivals such as Artosphere and La Jolla SummerFest. The ensemble worked intensively at the Curtis Institute with such renowned chamber musicians as Shmuel Ashkenasi, Arnold Steinhardt, Joseph Silverstein, and Peter Wiley, and is currently the Graduate String Quartet in Residence at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas.
What others say about us!
"Music making that can only be described as astonishing...destined for the company of some of the finest string quartets ever assembled."
Michael Huebner, The Birmingham News
"Already pulling away from their peers with their exceptional interpretative maturity, tonal refinement and taut ensemble...a pleasure to hear."
Dennis Rooney, The Strad
"Stole the hearts of an enthusiastic audience...this group of youngsters played like veterans of the concert stage...depth, subtlety, virtuosity, vigor...one runs out of adjectives to describe the inspired playing of this group... With musicians such as these...one need have no fear for the future of classical music."
Leonard Link - Review blog
Special Links
Fischoff Chamber Music Competition