Emily Daggett Smith, violon (depuis 2020); (Wendy Yun Chen (1999-2016); (Elisabeth Fayette (2016-2020))
Jessica Shuang Wu, violon
Joseph Skerik, alto (depuis 2023); (Yinzi Kong (1999-2023))
Guang Wang, violoncelle
“The music, when it began, simply took over and created a space of its own. Nor did the quartet impose an interpretation on the music; rather, the musicians played with a deceptive simplicity and fluidity that made difficult passages seem childlike in their straightforwardness. ”— The New York Times
The Harid Quartet has changed its name to the Vega Quartet.
The Vega String Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at Emory University, is cultivating a new generation of chamber music lovers through dynamic performances and innovative community engagement. The New York Times raved that “[the Quartet’s] playing had a kind of clean intoxication to it, pulling the listener along…the musicians took real risks in their music making” and the L.A. Times praised their “triumphant L.A. debut.” They concertize both nationally and internationally, most recently in Baltimore, Chicago, Nashville, Sacramento, Berlin, San Miguel, the Brahmssaal in Vienna’s Musikverein and the Kleine Zaal in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. The Quartet’s major performing projects at Emory have included performing the complete cycle of Beethoven quartets, as well as pairing Bach’s complete works for solo violin, viola and cello with the six Bartók quartets. Recent highlights include debuting at the 2023 Kneisel Hall Chamber Festival and opening the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta’s 2023 – 24 season alongside Mark and Maggie O’Connor. The Vega’s 2023 – 2024 season will feature collaborations with flutist Ransom Wilson, cellist Zuill Bailey, and the Juilliard Quartet. Regular commissioners of new music, the quartet will be premiering Joel Thompson’s newest string quartet in March of 2024.
Vega is the brightest star in the Lyra constellation. According to Greek mythology, this constellation represents the lyre which belonged to the legendary musician Orpheus.
A unique aspect of the Quartet’s residency at Emory is bringing performance into the classroom, collaborating with academic professors to create interdisciplinary parallels and conversations. They also enrich the cultural life of their community, having founded the Emory Youth Chamber Music Program, which gives intensive training in small ensemble playing to advanced pre-college students. The Quartet was appointed to the roster of the Woodruff Arts Center’s Young Audience program, engaging thousands of students throughout the greater Atlanta school system. They have also held residencies in Augusta, Jacksonville and Juneau which combined traditional concerts with educational outreach, performances in non-traditional venues and masterclasses for area students.
The Vega Quartet has won numerous international awards, including at the Bordeaux String Quartet Competition, as well as top prizes from the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, the Carmel Chamber Music Competition, and the National Society of Arts and Letters String Quartet Competition. They have toured throughout Asia, Europe and North America and have appeared at Weill Hall and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Bargemusic, and Duke Hall at the Royal Academy of Music, London. The members of the Vega Quartet collaborate with some of the world’s finest musicians including David Shifrin, Mark and Maggie O’Connor, Andres Cardenes, Eliot Fisk, Christopher O’Riley, William Preucil, Richard Stoltzman, Robert Spano, Charles Wadsworth, Soovin Kim, and the Eroica Trio. They also commission, premier and record works by leading composers. The Quartet is a frequent guest at numerous music festivals, including Amelia Island, Aspen, Brevard, Highlands-Cashiers, Juneau Jazz & Classics, Kingston, Mostly Mozart, Rockport, San Miguel de Allende, and SummerFest La Jolla.
