JUILLIARD STRING QUARTET

Areta Zhulla, violin
Ronald Copes, violin
Molly Carr, viola
Astrid Schween, cello

With unparalleled artistry and enduring vigor, the Juilliard String Quartet (JSQ) continues to inspire audiences around the world. Founded in 1946 and hailed by The Boston Globe as “the most important American quartet in history,” the ensemble draws on a deep and vital engagement to the classics, while embracing the mission of championing new works, a vibrant combination of the familiar and the daring. Each performance of the Juilliard String Quartet is a unique experience, bringing together the four members’ profound understanding, total commitment, and unceasing curiosity in sharing the wonders of the string quartet literature.

Molly Carr joined the JSQ as violist in May 2022—following in the footsteps of her late mentor, Roger Tapping—to close out the 2021–22 season, which marked the Juilliard String Quartet’s 75th anniversary. Performances of the season included cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Detroit as well as a European tour including stops in Berlin, Dresden, and Essen. A special highlight of the 2022–23 season is the premiere of two string quartets by celebrated German composer Jörg Widmann to perform alongside late quartets by Beethoven.

Devoted master teachers, the members of the Juilliard String Quartet offer classes and open rehearsals when on tour. The JSQ is string quartet in residence at The Juilliard School and its members are all sought-after teachers on the string and chamber music faculties. Each May, they host the five-day internationally recognized Juilliard String Quartet Seminar. During the summer, the JSQ works closely on string quartet repertoire with Fellows at the Tanglewood Music Center.

The Juilliard String Quartet was last heard on our Evening Series in December 2018. The ensemble was scheduled to perform tonight’s program in December 2020, and in place of a live performance the quartet prepared a video about rehearsing the works by Jörg Widmann under COVID conditions. The same program was scheduled for November 2021 but had to be cancelled because of the illness of their violist, Roger Tapping.