ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

The California String Quartet was formed in 2002 by members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra who were busy in the recording industry, as an artistic outlet and a way of expressing and exploring the endless diversity and beauty of the more intimate chamber music repertoire.

Their collaboration earned them the “Most Outstanding Chamber Ensemble” award from the LA Weekly, and the respect and admiration of audiences, critics and peers in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. The California String Quartet has appeared on TV and on classical radio K-Mozart numerous times and has been a guest of some of the most prestigious chamber music series—such as LACMA Live, Chamber Music at Greystone, the Norton Simon Museum, the Music Guild, South Bay Chamber Music Society, Ventura Chamber Music Festival, Lagerstrom Chamber Music, CalTech Music Society, Restoration Series South Pasadena, Chamber Music at the Old Mill San Marino and many more.

The California String Quartet collaborates with many contemporary composers and has premiered numerous of new works. They premiered and recorded the acclaimed String Quartet No. 1 by the talented Bulgarian composer Penka Kouneva, and are collaborating on a recording project with Oscar-nominated film composer John Powell, which will include the unexplored beauty of the string quartets by Russian composer Sergey Taneyev.

Recently the Quartet went through a transformation when first violin Katia Popov was joined by second violin Luanne Homzy, violist Zach Dellinger, cellist Ben Lash. These talented young artists brought a contemporary sound and new energy and dedication to the group, taking their performances to a new level of musical mastery and brilliance.

With degrees from such prestigious music academies as the Paris Conservatory, UCLA, the USC Thornton School of Music, and the Colburn School, these new members of the California String Quartet maintain active careers as recording artists, soloists and orchestra musicians. They are also all dedicated teachers who share their knowledge, experience and love for music with young students, in addition to inspiring audiences with their passion and artistry.