What They’re Saying

“A new entry point into chamber music that grapples with the the music of our time…” Katherine Millett, Chamber Music September/October 2010. Read the full article here.

“The pieces are really wonderful; they challenge the students at their level in such a perfect way.” – The Chiara Quartet

“Geoff’s music is filled with so many vivid colors and characters… a wonderful resource.” – The Borromeo Quartet

“There’s a great need for new musical resources that inspire passionate learning at all levels of quartet playing. The
Quartet Project is a great idea at the right time.” – Brooklyn Rider

“I begin to suspect that we’re going to look back on The Quartet Project as a big deal. The fact that Geoff can write so many contrasting pieces that contain beautiful ideas, with such craft and skill is truly brilliant and unusual.”

– composer Robert Sirota, retired president of Manhattan School of Music

“My daughter always begins her violin practice with her Quartet Project music. My husband and I have to ask her to stop playing Hudson and spend some time on her other music.” –mother of Quartet Project workshop participant

“…a vital tool to ensuring that the future of chamber music, and string quartets, remains bright.” – The Parker Quartet

“…a wonderfully refreshing alternative to the standard classical quartet repertoire…” –Jennifer Stirling received her training as a violinist and violist at London’s Guildhall School of Music, the New England Conservatory, and SUNY-Stony Brook. In addition to a busy performing schedule in Boston, she teaches and coaches chamber music at Phillips Exeter Academy and is a member of the board of directors of ACMP—The Chamber Music Network.

“I took a more detailed look at your website and listened to some of the pieces. You are doing GREAT work, contributing to a real void in the chamber music repertoire…” –Violist Josephine Liu Moerschel is executive director of Elemental Strings, a youth orchestra for elementary school students in Santa Monica and co-director of the Los Angeles branch of Junior Chamber Music. An active performer in Los Angeles, she received a doctorate in viola performance from the University of Texas-Austin.

“After we had rehearsed Hudson’s music, we returned to playing Haydn: I was struck by what an impressive change playing the Hudson had made in their music making.” –Isabel Schneider earned diplomas in violin performance and pedagogy at the Musikakademie Winterthur-Zürich and the Musikakademie Basel. She performs regularly with Klangforum Wien, the Wiener Kammerorchester, and the Vorarlberger Sinfonie Orchester. She teaches violin and chamber music at the Musikschule Tulln, outside Vienna.

“Hearing the music of different levels all together in the concert makes one appreciate even more the quality of the compositions, and get a glimpse of some of the scope of the composer. Everyone played so well, and in such a short time the pieces had a coherence and tightness that was delightful. Geoffrey’s passion is contagious, and it is fanning into flame one that we as a family have had and dreamed of for our children.” –father of Quartet Project workshop participant

“The Quartet Project has the potential to have a deep effect on students of chamber music everywhere.” –Sebastian Ruth is founder and executive-artistic director of Community MusicWorks, violist with the Providence String Quartet, and a 2010 MacArthur Fellow.

“The Quartet Project is a unique and important initiative sure to play an important role in the musical development of performers of all ages.” – The Miró Quartet

“The music has real depth. I liked it the first time I played it, but I liked it better after we’d played it two more times. I think that I’ll like it even more after playing it five more times.” –Wolfgang Lhotka teaches violin, viola, and chamber music at the Musikschule der Region Wagram in Austria. Trained at the Vienna Conservatory, he performs regularly with the Wiener Kabinett Orchester and other ensembles.

“Geoff Hudson’s Quartet Project is an exciting solution to a long-standing and widespread problem. This innovative work promises to enrich our musical future by opening the world of chamber music to string players of all ages and abilities.” –Violist Kenneth Freed joined the Minnesota Orchestra after five years in the Manhattan String Quartet. He founded the Learning Through Music Consulting Group, a non-profit which seeks to put music at the center of all children’s education.

“Students (and teachers) crave some variety. We need inspiring modern repertoire for young players, something they can sink their teeth into. I enthusiastically support The Quartet Project, and await its completion eagerly.” –As violist with the Silo String Quartet, Kerryn Coulter recorded albums with Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave, as well as multiple recordings on the Vitamin Records label. She now lives in Vienna, where she teaches at the American International School.

“There is a decided lack of quality contemporary music that is within the scope of non- or not-yet-professional musicians. I was delighted to find in Geoffrey Hudson that rare combination: a gifted, accomplished composer with a genuine and active interest in the needs of professional teachers and the students with whom we work. The Quartet Project is an intelligent and thoughtful response to this hole in the repertoire and I am enthusiastic to hear the results.” – Gabrielle Deakin is Head of Strings at the Escola Municipal de Música “Mestre Montserrat”in Barcelona and plays principal cello in the “Orquestra de Cambra del Garraf”.

“Having played and heard several pieces from The Quartet Project, I endorse this venture enthusiastically. Geoffrey Hudson’s music is clever, lyrical, and filled with rhythmic vitality. I salute The Quartet Project and look forward to its completion.” –Violist Virginia Barron has been associated for many years with the Colorado College Summer Music Festival as performer, teacher and associate director. Other summer chamber music festivals include the Ravinia Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, Algonquin Music Festival, and Yellow Barn Chamber Music Festival.

“The Quartet Project is an important undertaking and I welcome its contribution to future generations of chamber musicians.” –A graduate of New England Conservatory and Indiana University, Emily Rome has taught chamber music at Greenwood Music Camp, Harvard University, and the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music.

“It is essential for our students’ musical development that they play in quartets from a young age. They need to learn ensemble playing, how to listen, read a score, and make interpretive choices from the very beginning. This is often not possible with the standard quartet repertoire. The Quartet Project will address a need and fill a void. As a faculty member at Drake University, I am thrilled to be involved in this groundbreaking project. ” –A distinguished performer and teacher, violinist Sarah Plum is Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at Drake University (Des Moines, IA).