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Our 2012-2013 Past Seasons: 2011-2012 |
The Alexander String Quartet
The Alexander String Quartet was formed in New York City in 1981 and the following year became the first string quartet to win the Concert Artists Guild Competition. In 1985, the Quartet was the first American quartet to win the London International String Quartet Competition, receiving both the jury's highest award and the Audience Prize. In May of 1995, Allegheny College awarded Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degrees to the members of the quartet in recognition of their unique contribution to the arts. Honorary degrees were conferred on the ensemble by St. Lawrence University in May 2000. The Quartet serves as directors of the Morrison Chamber Music Center at the School of Music and Dance in the College of Creative Arts at San Francisco State University and Ensemble in Residence of San Francisco Performances. Violinist Zakarias Grafilo joined the Alexander String Quartet in July 2002. Prior to that he served as Principal Second Violinist of the Pacific Symphony, and Concertmaster of the Stockton Symphony. Mr. Grafilo was co-founder of the Chamberlain String Quartet, which was Assistant Quartet-in-Residence to the Alexander String Quartet at San Francisco State University. He received his early musical training at the Preparatory Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and was later admitted into the Marin Music Conservatory. Mr. Grafilo continued his studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University. Frederick Lifsitz studied violin in his native Boston and at Indiana University. He has been an Artist in Residence at the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies in Wye, Maryland and has held similar positions at St. Lawrence University, Baruch College, and North Carolina School of the Arts. Prior to joining the Alexander Quartet Mr. Lifsitz performed over several seasons with the Boston Symphony and taught Chamber Music and Violin at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Violist Paul Yarbrough is a native of Clearwater, Florida, and a founding member of the Alexander String Quartet. He was principal violist of the Chamber Orchestra of New England. Mr. Yarbrough serves on the board of the San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music. A native of Northumberland, England, cellist Sandy Wilson completed his graduate studies at the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen as a recipient of two Danish Government Scholarships and the Sophus Berendsen Award. Mr. Wilson was principal cellist at the age of 21 in the Allgemeine Musikgesellschaft Orchestra in Lucerne, Switzerland. In 1979 Mr. Wilson moved to the United States, completing a degree at Yale. He co-founded the Alexander String Quartet in 1981 and has since lived in this country, devoting most of his energies to the development of the Quartet. Mr. Wilson currently serves as an elected board member of Chamber Music America. |
