The Artaria String Quartet, in residence at Stringwood, was mentored by members of the Budapest, La Salle, Kolisch, Juilliard, Emerson and Cleveland Quartets. 2004-05 McKnight Performing Artists, they have appeared on national television and radio, and have performed at major venues in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Cleveland and Boston. They have also been featured at the Banff Centre in Canada, Festival de L’Epau in France, and the Tanglewood Music Center.

Nationally recognized as dynamic teachers and for their commitment to education, Artaria has served as Ensemble-in-Residence and Artist/ Teachers at the world renowned Tanglewood Institute and have been awarded two prestigious “Millennium” grants for outreach activities from the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America. Go to www.artariaquartet.com for more info.

This summer we welcome distinguished cellist and teacher Laura Thielke as our guest teacher and collaborator. Laura will present a masterclass and perform in the beautiful Brahms G major Sextet with Artaria. The performance will be on June 21st at 7:00pm. Call 651-587-7595 for more details.

Laura's bio...

Cellist Dr. Laura J. Thielke earned her DMA from Boston University, and an MM and BM from the Eastman School of Music. Her cello teachers have included Leslie Parnas, Robert Sylvester, Steven Doane, Paul Katz, Gabor Reijto, and Laurence Lesser, and she has worked closely with the Cleveland, Muir, and
American Quartets as well as such eminent musicians as Gyorgy Sebok, Gilbert Kalish, Walter Levin and Thomas Brandis. Since 1998 she has served as Assistant Director of the Music Department and Head of Chamber Music at the Walnut Hill School in Boston.

As a former member of the Artaria Quartet of Boston she performed numerous concerts in Europe, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York, and served as a faculty member at Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Prior to joining the Artaria Quartet, Dr. Thielke was a guest artist at several international music festivals, including the Robert Shaw Choral
Institute and the Making Music Together Project under the direction of Sarah Caldwell, including three weeks of concerts at the Moscow State Conservatory.

Along with her involvement in chamber music, she has also had extensive orchestral performing experience, having served as Principal Cello of the New American Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Fairfax and Maryland Symphony Orchestras. Dr. Thielke performs as a recitalist in the Boston area. Along with her work at Walnut Hill School, she also served for eight summers as Director of String Chamber Music and Cello Faculty at Boston University's Tanglewood Institute.

In recognition of her work with young artists, in 2002 Chamber Music America awarded her the nation’s highest award for chamber music teaching , the Kay Logan Award for Excellence in Chamber Music Education.

Artaria String Quartet

Laura Thielke

Violist (TBA)