TheShanghai Quartet is astring quartet that formed in 1983. The quartet is made up of: first violinistWeigang Li, second violinistAngelo Xiang Yu, violistHonggang Li, and cellistNicholas Tzavaras. On November 20, 2020 the ensemble announced the newest member, Angelo Xiang Yu.^[1] The Shanghai Quartet accepted the resignation of former violistYi-Wen Jiang on March 17, 2020.^[2] The group's tours have includedNorth America,South America,Japan,China,Australia,New Zealand, andEurope. Among their performances, the Shanghai Quartet has developed a long list of performance collaborators includingYo-Yo Ma,David Soyer,Eugenia Zukerman,Sharon Isbin,Ruth Laredo,Arnold Steinhardt, andChanticleer.^[3]

The group was formed in 1983 at theShanghai Conservatory inChina.^[4] In 1984 the quartet was selected by theMinistry of Culture (China)^[5] to compete at the Portsmouth International Quartet Competition inEngland where they won 2nd prize.^[6] The group then left China in 1985 to study atNorthern Illinois University with theVermeer Quartet until 1987.^[6] The Shanghai Quartet made itsNew York debut in 1987 at Town Hall.^[7] In 1989 they became the quartet-in-residence at theUniversity of Richmond.^[6] In 2003 the quartet became Distinguished Visiting Artists of the school'sModlin Center for the Arts, giving concerts during the Great Performances season from September to May.^[8] They then were established as artists-in-residency at theJohn J. Cali School of Music atMontclair State University inNew Jersey where they are currently located.^[3] The four members are also visiting guest professors at theShanghai Conservatory andCentral Conservatory of Music inChina where they share in master-classes what they have learned in America.^[5] In the fall of 2020, they became resident faculty members at TheTianjin Juilliard School.^[9] A documentary film by Hal Rifken, titled "Behind the Strings", was released in 2020, telling the adventuresome history of the musicians through their westward journeys out of the Cultural Revolution in China to their current lives on stage and at home in the US.^[10]

Weigang Li is a native ofShanghai and began studying the violin at age five under the instruction of his parents. He began formal music education at theShanghai Conservatory when he was 14 years old. In 1981 he studied at theSan Francisco Conservatory of Music through an exchange program with theShanghai Conservatory. Upon finishing his studies in 1985, Weigang became an assistant violin professor at Shanghai. He then left China to study atNorthern Illinois University. From 1987 to 1989, he studied at theJuilliard School and was a teaching assistant to theJuilliard String Quartet. Weigang has been the first violinist for the Shanghai Quartet since its inception.^[3]

Weigang has been a soloist with theAsian Youth Orchestra,Shanghai Symphony Orchestra,BBC Symphony Orchestra, andBBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He appears in the film "From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China".^[3] Weigang currently is on the faculty at theBard College Conservatory of Music, an Artist-in-Residence at Montclair State University's John J. Cali School Of Music, and resident faculty at The Tianjin Juilliard School.^[11][12]

Angelo Xiang Yu was born inInner Mongolia China and grew up inShanghai.^[13] His early musical training was with violinist Qing Zheng at theShanghai Conservatory.^[14] His first major international award was First Prize in the 2010Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition.^[15] He is the recipient of a 2019Avery Fisher Career Grant and a 2019 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award.^[16] Yu received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees and an Artist Diploma from theNew England Conservatory. His teachers includeDonald Weilerstein andMiriam Fried.^[17] Mr. Yu was chosen to be a member of theChamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s The Bowers Program, joining in the fall of 2018.^[18]

Honggang Li began his musical studies playing the violin like his brother Weigang, and formed the quartet with him He first attended the Beijing Conservatory and then theShanghai Conservatory where he became a faculty member in 1984. Later in theUnited States, he became a teaching assistant at the Juilliard School inNew York City.^[3] Honggang was the original first violinist for the Shanghai Quartet and later switched to second violin. When violist Zheng Wang left the group they had trouble finding a replacement violist, and^[6] upon accepting Yi-Wen Jiang, who the Li brothers had already known,^[6] as the second violinist, Honggang learned to play the viola in order to complete the quartet.^[19]

Honggang has been a soloist with the Shanghai Philharmonic and the Shanghai Conservatory Orchestra. In 1987 he was given a prize at thePremio Paolo Borciani Competition in Italy by Elisa Pegreffi.^[3]

Nicholas Tzavaras is the only American member of the Shanghai Quartet, having grown up inHarlem inNew York City. He studied cello at theNew England Conservatory and at theState University of New York Stony Brook. As a graduate student, he began a cello program for the Opus 118 Music Center inEast Harlem. He is now an advisory board member for the program. Nicholas was previously on the faculty at theUniversity of Richmond and is currently the string department coordinator and cello professor atMontclair State University. He became the cellist for the Shanghai Quartet in 2000 when past cellist James Wilson left the ensemble.^[3]

Nicholas has toured with "Musicians from Marlboro" andMadonna. He has made appearances onMTV,VH1,David Letterman, and at theWhite House to perform for PresidentBill Clinton. He has recorded for labels including Delos,BIS Records, Camerata, and New Albion. He has appeared in the Academy Award nominated documentary "Small Wonders" and in the major motion picture "Music of the Heart" withMeryl Streep.^[3]

Xing-Hua Ma, cellist 1983-1985.^[6]Zheng Wang, violist 1983-1994.^[19]Käthe Jarka, cellist 1986-1990.^[6]James Wilson, cellist 1990-2000.^[3]Yi-Wen Jiang, violinist 1994-2020.^[20]

• http://www.shanghaiquartet.com/

• Musical groups from Shanghai
• String quartets
• Musical groups established in 1983
• Music of Richmond, Virginia
• University of Richmond
• Montclair State University
• 1983 establishments in China
• 1983 in Shanghai
• International string quartets

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