2015 Prizewinners
Atara String Quartet
GOLD MEDALISTS
Hannah White, violin (Germantown, WI)
Karisa Chiu, violin (Palatine, IL)
Tess Krope, viola (Chicago, IL)
Krystian Chiu, cello (Wilmette IL)
Atara String Quartet is comprised of Hannah White and Karisa Chiu, violin; Tess Krope, viola; and Krystian Chiu, cello. All four students are Fellows at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, a pre-college training program for gifted musicians. The quartet is coached by artist faculty member Mathias Tacke. Atara String Quartet was the first place winner of the Society of American Musicians 2014 Jules M. Laser Chamber Music Competition and has performed for Music in the Loft’s Young Artists Concert. They were silver medalists of both the 2015 A.N. & Pearl G. Barnett Chamber Music Competition and the 2014 St. Paul String Quartet Competition. In addition, they received honorable mentions in the Midwest Young Artists 2014 and 2015 Discover National Chamber Music Competition and advanced to the junior division semifinal round of the 2014 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. In May, they will be competing in the quarter final round of the 2015 Fischoff competition as well as be featured on Chicago radio during WFMT’s Introductions. The members have also individually won numerous competitions and prizes locally, regionally and nationally. Atara is unique in that every member is a first generation American of mixed ethnicity—Hannah is African-American/Vietnamese, Karisa is Korean/Chinese, Tess is Caucasian/Korean, and Krystian is Korean/Chinese. They bring their diversity and commonality into their playing, creating a balanced and cohesive sound. The word “atara” means “crown” in Hebrew.
Verita Quartet
SILVER MEDALISTS
Isabelle Durrenberger, violin (Columbus, OH)
Camille Vogley-Howes, violin (Columbus, OH)
Serena Hsu, viola (Dubkin,OH)
Isobel Alsup, cello (Delaware, OH)
The Verita Quartet was founded in the fall of 2014 at the Chamber Music Connection (CMC) in Worthington, Ohio and is comprised of violinists Isabelle Durrenberger (16), Camille Vogley-Howes (17), violist Serena Hsu (17), and cellist Isobel Alsup (18). Their coaches include Artistic Director, Deborah Price, and a team of CMC’s esteemed associated faculty. Through CMC the Verita’s have participated in masterclasses for renowned chamber musicians including Peter Salaff, David Finckel, Wu Han, and Hilary Hahn. Over the past few years, Verita members have participated in CMC residency masterclasses and side-by-side performances with the Brentano, Calidore, Jupiter, Cavani, Pacifica, Hausmann, and Escher string quartets as well as the Aspen Trio and Trio Cavatina. Verita Quartet members Camille, Serena, and Isobel, also participate in the CMC Fellowship Program, a prestigious program for high school students to experience the administration of a not-for-profit arts organization as well as an opportunity to mentor younger ability students and peers. Verita Quartet has preformed outreach concerts at the McConnell Arts Center, Natalie’s Coal Fired Pizza & Live Music, the Ohio State School for the Blind, the Dowd Education Center (a center directed by the Homeless Families Foundation to provide enriching activities for homeless and at-risk school aged children) as well as benefit concerts for Music for Food. Members of Verita have performed in national venues including the quarterfinals of the 2013 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the finals of the 2014 Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, and in January 2014 on National Public Radio’s From the Top! (Chattanooga, TN). The Verita’s are thrilled to be one of the six quartets in the final round of the 2015 Saint Paul String Quartet competition and they look forward to traveling to South Bend, Indiana this May to compete in the quarter-finals of the 2015 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
Pike Street Quartet
BRONZE MEDALISTS
Evan Hjort, violin (Seattle, WA)
Bronwyn James, violin (Seattle, WA)
Takumi Taguchi, viola (Bellevue, WA)
Olivia Marckx, cello (Bellevue, WA)
Formed in the fall of 2013, the Pike Street Quartet debuted to critical acclaim receiving the Haydn Prize at the 2014 Saint Paul String Quartet Competition and being selected as semi-finalists at the 2014 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. PSQ members Evan Hjort, Takumi Taguchi , Bronwyn James, and Olivia Marckx are accomplished individual musicians who have performed with the Seattle Symphony, Ottawa Chamber Orchestra, Coeur d’Alene Symphony, the National Youth Orchestra, New York String Orchestra Seminar; attended the Aspen Music Festival, Brian Lewis Young Artists Program, the Meadowmount School of Music, and Pinchas Zuckerman’s National Arts Centre Young Artists Program; and won the Festival Medal at the Seattle Young Artists, Classic KING-FM Young Artists, the Suzuki World Convention Concerto Competition, was semi-finalist at the 2015 Johansen International String Competition; and performed on Classic KING-FM, KPBX Classic Radio, and NPR’s From the Top. They have donated their time to perform at many community events. They are coached by Leslie Marckx and Simon James.