The Verona Quartet
About the Artists
Verona Quartet
he Verona Quartet is recognized as a premier ensemble of its generation, praised by The New York Times as an “outstanding ensemble... cohesive yet full of temperament.” Recipients of the 2020 Chamber Music America Cleveland Quartet Award and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association’s 2025 Educator Award, the ensemble has earned a reputation for its “bold interpretive strength” (Calgary Herald) and “opulent sonority” (The Strad). The Quartet serves on the faculty of Oberlin College and Conservatory as Quartet-in-Residence and as Artistic Directors of the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance.
The ensemble’s rise to international prominence was fueled by a swift succession of top prize wins at Wigmore Hall, Melbourne, Osaka, M-Prize, and Fischoff International Chamber Music Competitions, as well as the 2015 Concert Artists Guild Competition. The Verona Quartet has appeared across four continents, captivating audiences at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, Jordan Hall, and Wigmore Hall. They have performed at festivals including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Chamber Music Northwest, and Bravo! Vail. In addition to its position at Oberlin, the Quartet is featured in annual residencies at the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute and North Carolina’s Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle.
In the 2026–27 season, the Verona Quartet maintains an active schedule with appearances at Maverick Concerts, Shriver Hall Concert Series, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Peoples’ Symphony Concerts, and Stanford University, as well as collaborations with pianist Jeremy Denk, clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein, and saxophonist Steven Banks. In February 2027, the Quartet will also collaborate with pianist Simone Dinnerstein for the world premiere of a new Oberlin-commissioned piano quintet by composer Texu Kim.
A string quartet for the 21st century, the Verona Quartet pairs versatile programming with imaginative collaborations that bridge the time-honored canon and new, interdisciplinary works. Notable commissions and premieres include works by composers Christopher Theofanidis, Julia Adolphe, Texu Kim, and Sebastian Currier, as well as Michael Gilbertson’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated Quartet. The Quartet recently celebrated several world premieres, including a work for string quartet, yangqin (Chinese dulcimer), and dancer by Cheng Jin Koh, commissioned by The Smithsonian Institution in honor of the centennial of the Freer Gallery of Art. Past ventures highlight the group’s versatility, ranging from live-performance art installations with artist Ana Prvački to collaborations with the GRAMMY-winning folk trio I’m With Her.
The Quartet’s recording catalog reflects this same spirit of exploration. Their second album, SHATTER, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Chart in 2023, showcasing works written for the ensemble by Julia Adolphe and Michael Gilbertson, alongside Reena Esmail’s Ragamala with Hindustani vocalist Saili Oak. This followed their debut album Diffusion, praised by BBC Music Magazine for its “radiant glow,” and a 2023 release of György Ligeti’s complete string quartet cycle. In August 2026, the quartet released their fourth album, featuring the string quartets of Felix Mendelssohn, on Oberlin Music.
The Verona Quartet takes its name from the city of Verona, paying tribute to William Shakespeare and the belief that the spirit of storytelling transcends genre. The Verona Quartet are D’Addario Artists and The Violin Channel Artists.
Program
SAMUEL BARBER (1910–1981): String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11 (1936)
I. Molto allegro e appassionato
II. Molto adagio
III. Molto allegro (come prima)
STEPHEN HARTKE (b. 1952): Night Songs for a Desert Flower (2009)
GEORGE WALKER (1922–2018): Lyric for Strings (1946)
Intermission
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841–1904): String Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105, B. 193 (1895)
I. Allegro appassionato
II. Molto adagio
III. Molto scherzoso
IV. Finale: Allegro non troppo
String Quartet “Songbook”
Created in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, String Quartet “Songbook” explores the richness and diversity of American musical identity through works that treat the string quartet as a singing voice—intimate, reflective, and deeply expressive.
At the heart of the program is a strong Oberlin lineage, embodied by the Verona Quartet, whose artistic life and pedagogical work are closely connected to the Oberlin musical community. Samuel Barber’s only string quartet, whose slow movement later became the iconic Adagio for Strings, stands as one of the most enduring expressions of American lyricism and mourning. Stephen Hartke’s Night Songs for a Desert Flower unfolds as a contemporary nocturne, rich in color and atmosphere, while George Walker’s Lyric for String Quartet distills clarity and emotional depth into a concise, luminous statement.
The program concludes with Dvořák’s final string quartet, the last work he began during his years in the United States. Written at the close of his American chapter, it reflects a composer absorbing a new musical landscape while remaining true to his melodic voice. Together, these works form an American “songbook”—shaped by place, tradition, and the enduring power of music that sings.