Lark Quartet (string quartet)


The Lark Quartet is a New York-based, all female string quartet founded in 1985. It is acknowledged for its distinguished contribution to the string quartet repertoire, commissioning new works from some of America's most celebrated composers. Most notably, Aaron Jay Kernis' two string quartets: Quartet no. 1 Musica celestis and Quartet no. 2 Musica instrumentalis, which received the Pulitzer Prize in 1998. The Lark Quartet served as Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 2004–08 and has recorded numerous albums on multiple labels including Decca/Argo, Arabesque, Bridge, ERI, Endeavor and Koch.

Current musicians

1st violin

Deborah Buck is an American violinist who has built a diverse musical career, appearing with artists like Itzhak Perlman and Erykah Badu. Having served as the tenured concertmaster of the Brooklyn Philharmonic since 2009, Deborah has recorded for Motion Picture, Television, and was the soloist in Turner Classics, The Scarlet Letter. Her recitals have been heard in broadcasts around the U.S., and she has been a soloist with orchestras including the Little Orchestra Society, Brooklyn Philharmonic, and the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Deborah serves as Assistant Professor of Violin at SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music and serves as the Co-Executive Director of the . Ms. Buck performs on a violin by Vincenzo Postiglione, graciously on loan by Ray and Marcia Corwin.

2nd violin

Basia Danilow is a diverse violinist who engages in chamber music, recording, orchestral and solo performances. She has appeared in recital at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall and the Kosciuszko Foundation as well as in Yugoslavia and Russia. Basia is concertmaster of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, a regular with the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. She has recorded for the Sony, Atlantic, RCA Victor Red Seal and Bridge labels and her radio and television broadcasts include WQXR, NPR's œPerformance Today, Vermont Public Radio and PBS. Basia has appeared at the Caramoor Summer Music Festival, Lincoln Center Festival, Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival, Windham, Music Festival of the Hamptons, the International Summer Institute at the Moscow Conservatory.

Viola

Kathryn Lockwood has built an international career as a chamber musician, soloist and teacher. A founding member of the Pacifica Quartet, Kathryn is currently the violist of duoJalal - an unusual viola and percussion duo with her husband Yousif Sheronick. She has performed regularly with the Camerata of St. John's, the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble, at the Elm City ChamberFest the Telluride ChamberFest. Kathryn is a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Montclair State University and is a regular guest teacher at her alma mater, the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. Ms Lockwood plays an unknown Italian viola from the 18th Century Brescian School.

Cello

Caroline Stinson is a Canadian soloist, recitalist and chamber musician for concerts of traditional and contemporary repertoire. Having appeared as a soloist at Museum of Modern Art's Summergarden Series, Poisson Rouge and Bargemusic in New York City; Cité de la musique Strasbourg and the Lucerne Festival in Europe, and the Centennial Centre and Winspear Halls in Canada. Her début CD, Lines, was released in 2011 on Albany Records and she has over a dozen chamber music recordings to her credit. Ms. Stinson is a member of the new music and improvisation group, the Open End Ensemble, Co-Artistic Director of the Weekend of Chamber Music (based in the Catskills and is on the faculty of the Juilliard School. Caroline performs on a Thomas Dodd cello from 1800.

History and activities

Origins

Lark About Town (LAT)

Commissioned works

Lark is presenting a series of programs during the 2016-2017 season to celebrate their 30th Anniversary Season. They will perform their favorite traditional repertoire together with new works commissioned for the anniversary. The final commission invites the original Larks to play a string octet by Andrew Waggoner. The first presented in October 2016 was a percussion quintet by Kenji Bunch with Lark's longtime collaborator Yousif Sheronick, percussion. Anna Weesner is up next to write a clarinet quintet for the Lark Quartet and Todd Palmer. Two exciting string quartets by Stephen Hartke and John Harbison round out the commissions.

Recordings

The Lark Quartet has recorded numerous albums in their 30-year history. These include some of the most significant works of the 20th century for string quartet. Lark has recorded for the Decca/Argo, Arabesque, Bridge, ERI, Endeavor, Koch, Point and New World labels. Recordings include: