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Our 2011-2012 Past Seasons: 2010--2011 |
The American String Quartet
The American String Quartet is celebrating its 30th anniversary during 2005-2006. Formed in 1974, when its original members were students at The Juilliard School, The American String Quartet was launched by winning both the Coleman Competition and the Naumburg Award in the same year. Resident quartet at the Aspen Music Festival since 1974 and the Manhattan School of Music in New York since 1984, the American has also served as resident quartet at the Taos School of Music (1979 to 1998), the Peabody Conservatory, and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Peter Winograd, violin, was born into a gifted musical family and began his studies with his parents. His father was the founding cellist of the Juilliard Quartet and his mother a professional pianist. He gave his first solo public performance at the age of eleven, and at seventeen was accepted as a scholarship student of Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School. Mr. Winograd was a top prize-winner in the 1988 Naumburg International Violin Competiion. He joined the American String Quartet in 1990. He is a member of the violin and chamber music faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and Aspen Music School. His wife, violinist Caterina Szepes, is a regular participant in the Marlboro Festival and a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. His instrument is by Giovanni Maria del Bussetto (Cremona, 1675). Laurie Carney, violin, is a founding member of the American String Quartet. Her father was a trumpeter and educator, her mother a pianist, and her three siblings all violinists. She began her studies at home and at the age of eight became the youngest violinist ever admitted to the Preparatory Division of The Juilliard School. At fifteen she was the youngest to be accepted into Juilliard's College Division. Ms. Carney studied with Dorothy DeLay and received both B.M. and M.M. degrees from Juilliard. Currently professor of violin at the Manhattan School of Music and on the string and chamber music faculty of Aspen Music School, she has held teaching positions at the Mannes College of Music, Peabody Conservatory, the University of Nebraska and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Ms. Carney performs the duo repertory with her husband, cellist William Grubb. Her non-professional interests include animal rights and environmental concerns. Her violin is by Carlo Tononi (Venice, 1763). Daniel Avshalomov, viola, is the son of composer and conductor Jacob Avshalomov. David Avshalomov began his training in Oregon, and after a year's study abroad ( with Orrea Pernel and members of the Amadeus Quartet), he took his B.M. and M.M. degrees at The Juilliard School, where he served five years as principal violist of the orchestra and was the first violist in the School's history to be awarded the Loeb Prize for Outstanding Achievement. He is a faculty member of Manhattan School of Music as well as Aspen Music School. For balance he climbs mountains. His instrument is by Andrea Amati (Cremona, 1568). Before joining the American String Quartet in 2002, cellist Margo Tatgenhorst Drakos served as Assistant Principal Cellist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (2000-2002), and as Principal Cellist of the Oregon Symphony, a position she won at age 22. She studied with David Soyer of the Guarneri Quartet at the Curtis Institute, won a top prize in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. With Soovin Kim and Michael Tree she recently formed a string trio, Divertimento. Ms. Drakos teaches on the cello and chamber music faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, Aspen Music School and Encore School for Strings. Ms. Drakos is currently pursuing a master's degree in Human Rights at Columbia University. Her instrument is by Vicenzo Postiglione (Naples, 1891). |
