Spotlight: Tesla Quartet

The Tesla Quartet

This summer Strings Music Festival welcomes the Tesla Quartet to the Young Artist-in-Residence program. The Tesla Quartet was founded in 2008 at The Julliard School and currently studies with the Takács Quartet through their Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Music festivals are familiar to the Tesla Quartet, and before coming to Strings, they spent three summers at Aspen Music Festival.

Most recently the quartet took 3rd prize in the London International String Quartet Competition. Nick Kimberly of the London Evening Standard wrote the following about the competition:

“The Tesla Quartet (US) followed with Debussy’s String Quartet, the fleeting atmospheres of which have defeated some of the world’s finest. This was a subtly coloured performance that balanced confidently between intimacy and extraversion. A real sense of four players listening to each other did not obstruct a natural rapport with the audience.

Confusingly, the judges’ decision took account of performances in earlier rounds. Based on the final alone, I would have given the prize to the Tesla, whom the jury placed third. First prize went to the Arcadia. All three quartets deserve a bright future.”

The Tesla Quartet at Wigmore Hall, London

Members:
Ross Snyder, violin: The founder of the Tesla Quartet, Ross won Second Prize in the Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition and first prize in the Dorothy J. Bales ’41 Violin Competition at the New England Conservatory.

Michelle Lie, violin: Born in Munich, Germany and raised in South Korea since the age of six, Michelle did not start playing the violin until the age of 14. Michelle was awarded first prize in the 250th anniversary of the J.S. Bach Competition and was the winner of Dankook University’s 2004 Concerto Competition.

Megan Mason, viola: Founding violist of the Tesla Quartet, Megan spends her summers as a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center and has studied at Le Domaine Forget and the Idyllwild Arts Academy.

Kimberly Patterson, cello: Kimberly recently gave the world premiere of Cayetano Soto’s ballet for solo cello, Uneven, with the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and subsequently toured throughout the United Sates. She has completed chamber residencies with the Aspen Music Festival and the Bravo! Vail Music Festival.

Live Music in Steamboat - The Tesla Quartet
The Tesla Quartet will perform free lunchtime concerts at the Yampa River Botanic Park Thursdays June 28 to July 19. They will also present outreach concerts for Boys and Girls Clubs and Senior Centers, as well as be featured in select evening classical concerts at the Strings Music Pavilion.