Program:
Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary
Ives* String Quartet No. 1, “From the Salvation Army”
Korngold* String Quartet No. 2 in E-flat, Op. 26
Dvořák Quartet in F Major, “American” Op. 96

With a career spanning three decades, the multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning Pacifica Quartet has achieved international recognition as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today. Known for delivering performances that are “engrossing, characterful...with a luminescent tranquillity [and] spine- tingling intensity” (The New York Times), the Quartet is celebrated for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and fearless repertory choices. Its sound, distinguished by “warmth of phrasing, dynamic control and superbly coordinated ensemble balance” (Gramophone Magazine), has solidified the ensemble as one of the most essential voices in American chamber music.

Simin Ganatra Violin
Austin Hartman Violin
Mark Holloway Viola
Brandon Vamos Cello

visit pacificaquartet.com for full biography

An asterisk (*) denotes work by an American composer.

Program:
McKay* String Quartet No. 1 "American Sketches"
Formosa Set* A selection of shorts from folk, pop, jazz, and poetry
Brahms String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 67

Formed in 2002 when the four Taiwanese-descended founders came together for a concert tour of Taiwan, the Formosa Quartet’s cultural identity has since expanded to include broader American, pan-Asian, and Eastern European roots. The founding members’ interest in championing Taiwanese music and Indigenous cultures has since expanded to include the exploration of the rich folk traditions and heritages found in America today. Whether in its uncompromisingly exploratory approach to the standard quartet literature; its socioculturally probing American Mirror Project; or its unique Sets curated from its collection of folk, pop, jazz, and poetry arrangements, the Formosa Quartet is committed to an insatiable search for the fresh and new in string quartet expression.

Jasmin Lin Violin
David Bernat Violin
Matthew Cohen Viola
Deborah Pae Cello

visit formosaquartet.com for full biography

An asterisk (*) denotes work by an American composer.

Program:
Haydn Quartet in D Major, Op. 71, No. 2
Puts* Home
Puccini Crisantemi
Ginastera String Quartet No. 2, Opus 26

One of America’s most celebrated string quartets, the Miró Quartet is praised as "furiously committed" by The New Yorker and recognized for its "exceptional tonal focus and interpretive intensity" by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. For nearly 30 years, the GRAMMY®-nominated quartet has performed on the world’s most prestigious concert stages, earning accolades from critics and audiences alike. Based in Austin, TX, and thriving on the area’s storied music scene, the Miró takes pride in finding new ways to communicate with audiences of all backgrounds while cultivating the longstanding tradition of chamber music.

Daniel Ching Violin
William Fedkenheuer Violin
John Largess Viola
Joshua Gindele Cello

visit miroquartet.com for full biography

An asterisk (*) denotes work by an American composer.

Program:
Schubert Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major
Seo* Metasequoia from July Mountain (2025)
Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67

The city of Seoul serves as a dynamic symbol of the ensemble’s cultural roots and artistic intensity. Trio Seoul was founded in 2022 by Bienen School associate professor of violin Jinjoo Cho, pianist Kyu Yeon Kim, and cellist and Bienen alumnus Brannon Cho. All three are top prize winners and laureates of prestigious international competitions including the 2014 Gold Medal at International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Concours musical international de Montréal, the Gina Bachauer International Young Artists Piano Competition, and the Queen Elisabeth Competition. The trio regularly collaborates with artists in multiple fields, including composers, choreographers, writers, and visual artists, and its members have appeared as soloists with celebrated orchestras throughout the world.

Presented by Ensemble Music Society and the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis

Jinjoo Cho Violin
Brannon Cho Cello
Kyu Yeon Kim Piano

visit trioseoul.com for full biography

An asterisk (*) denotes work by an American composer.

Program:
Haydn Quartet in F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5
García-Tomás New Commission Work
Schubert String Quintet in C Major (D. 956)

A leading force in international chamber music, Cuarteto Casals has established itself as one of the foremost string quartets after nearly three decades of its journey. Founded in 1997 at the Escuela Reina Sofía in Madrid, Cuarteto Casals has become a regular guest at many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Berlin Philharmonie, Cité de la Musique and Philharmonie de Paris, Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Musikverein, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

Abel Tomàs Violin
Vera Martínez Mehner Violin
Christina Cordero Viola
Arnau Tomàs Cello

visit cuartetocasals.com for full biography

CELEBRATION OF THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF PHILIP GLASS
Temples of Resonance: The String Quartets of Philip Glass*
Six quartets spanning the career of an iconic American composer

Celebrating twenty years of shared musical exploration, Brooklyn Rider originated in a living room, four friends in search of an outlet for their curiosities. Inspired by the probing spirit of Germany’s pre-WW1 artistic collective Der Blaue Reiter, they recognized parallels with their creative community in Brooklyn at the time and began to build projects. In the following two decades, Brooklyn Rider has undertaken a staggering amount of work, carving a singular space in the world of string quartets. Through thoughtful programmatic framing, deep-rooted collaborations, and innovative commissioning projects, Brooklyn Rider has used the medium at every point in their adventurous journey as a vehicle for exploration and discovery.

Simin Ganatra Violin
Austin Hartman Violin
Mark Holloway Viola
Brandon Vamos Cello

visit brooklynrider.com for full biography

An asterisk (*) denotes work by an American composer.