Lark Quartet | |
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 The Lark Quartet in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Lark Quartet |
| Origin | New York,Minnesota |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation | String quartet |
| Instruments | 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello |
| Years active | 1985-2019 |
| Labels | Decca,Bridge, Endeavor |
| Members | Deborah Buck Basia Danilow Kathryn Lockwood Caroline Stinson |
| Past members | Laura Sewell Anna Kruger Robyn Mayforth Kay Stern Eva Gruesser Jennifer Orchard Diane Pascal Danielle Farina Astrid Schween Harumi Rhodes Lisa Lee |
| Website | www.larkquartet.com |
TheLark Quartet was a New York-based, all femalestring quartet that operated from 1985 to 2019. 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 thePulitzer Prize in 1998. The Lark Quartet served as Quartet-in-Residence at theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst from 2004 to 2008 and has recorded numerous albums on multiple labels including Decca/Argo, Arabesque, Bridge, ERI, Endeavor and Koch.[1][2][3]
Deborah Buck (born September 9, 1971, inMountain View, California) is an American violinist who has built a diverse musical career, appearing with artists likeItzhak Perlman andErykah Badu. Having served as the tenured concertmaster of theBrooklyn 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 theLittle Orchestra Society,Brooklyn Philharmonic, and theWest Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Deborah serves as assistant professor of violin atSUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music and serves as the co-executive director of theKinhaven Music School. Ms. Buck performs on a violin by Vincenzo Postiglione, graciously on loan by Ray and Marcia Corwin.[4]
Basia Danilow (born January 23 inBrooklyn, New York) is a diverse violinist who engages in chamber music, recording, orchestral and solo performances. She has appeared in recital atLincoln Center,Weill Recital Hall atCarnegie Hall,Merkin Concert Hall and theKosciuszko Foundation as well as in Yugoslavia and Russia. Basia is concertmaster of thePrinceton Symphony Orchestra, a regular with theOrchestra of St. Luke's and theMetropolitan 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 Performance Today,Vermont Public Radio and PBS. Basia has appeared at theCaramoor 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.[5]
Kathryn Lockwood (born January 1, 1969, inBrisbane,Australia) has built an international career as a chamber musician, soloist and teacher. A founding member of thePacifica 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 theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst,Montclair State University and is a regular guest teacher at her alma mater, theQueensland Conservatorium Griffith University. Ms Lockwood plays an unknown Italian viola from the 18th Century Brescian School.[6]
Caroline Stinson (born April 20, 1975, inEdmonton,Alberta) is a Canadian soloist, recitalist and chamber musician for concerts of traditional and contemporary repertoire. Having appeared as a soloist atMuseum of Modern Art's Summergarden Series,(Le) Poisson Rouge andBargemusic in New York City; Cité de la musique Strasbourg and theLucerne Festival in Europe, and the Centennial Centre and Winspear Halls in Canada. Her début CD, Lines, was released in 2011 onAlbany 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 theCatskills and is on the faculty of theJuilliard School. Caroline performs on a Thomas Dodd cello from 1800.[7]
Lark presented a series of programs during the 2016-2017 season to celebrate their 30th Anniversary. They performed their favorite traditional repertoire together with new works commissioned for the anniversary. The final commission invited the original Larks (Laura, Anna, Robyn & Kay) to join the present Larks to play a string octet byAndrew Waggoner. The first presented in October 2016 was a percussion quintet byKenji 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 byStephen Hartke andJohn Harbison round out the commissions.[8]
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:
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