Shanghai Quartet

The Shanghai Quartet is a string quartet that formed in 1983. The quartet is made up of: first violinist Weigang Li, violist Honggang Li, and cellist Nicholas Tzavaras. Effective March 17, 2020, the Shanghai Quartet accepted the resignation of second violinist Yi-Wen Jiang.[1] The group's tours have included North America, South America, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Among their performances, the Shanghai Quartet has developed a long list of performance collaborators including Yo-Yo Ma, David Soyer, Eugenia Zukerman, Sharon Isbin, Ruth Laredo, Arnold Steinhardt, and Chanticleer.[2]

History

The group was formed in 1983 at the Shanghai Conservatory in China.[3] In 1984 the quartet was selected by the Ministry of Culture (China)[4] to compete at the Portsmouth International Quartet Competition in England where they won 2nd prize.[5] The group then left China in 1985 to study at Northern Illinois University with the Vermeer Quartet until 1987.[5] The Shanghai Quartet made its New York debut in 1987 at Town Hall.[6] In 1989 they became the quartet-in-residence at the University of Richmond.[5] In 2003 the quartet became Distinguished Visiting Artists of the school's Modlin Center for the Arts, giving concerts during the Great Performances season from September to May.[7] They then were established as artists-in-residency at the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University in New Jersey where they are currently located.[2] The four members are also visiting guest professors at the Shanghai Conservatory and Central Conservatory of Music in China where they share in master-classes what they have learned in America.[4]

Members

Weigang Li

Weigang Li is a native of Shanghai and began studying the violin at age five under the instruction of his parents. He began formal music education at the Shanghai Conservatory when he was 14 years old. In 1981 he studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music through an exchange program with the Shanghai Conservatory. Upon finishing his studies in 1985, Weigang became an assistant violin professor at Shanghai. He then left china to study at Northern Illinois University. From 1987 to 1989 he studied at the Juilliard School and was a teaching assistant to the Juilliard Quartet. Weigang has been the first violinist for the Shanghai Quartet since its inception.[2]

Weigang has been a soloist with the Asian Youth Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He appears in the film "From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China".[2] Weigang currently is on the faculty at the Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Honggang Li

Honggang Li began his musical studies playing the violin like his brother Weigang, and formed the quartet with him He first attended the Beijing Conservatory and then the Shanghai Conservatory where he became a faculty member in 1984. Later in the United States, he became a teaching assistant at the Juilliard School in New York City.[2] Honggang was the original first violinist for the Shanghai Quartet and later switched to second violin. When violist Zheng Wang left the group they had trouble finding a replacement violist, and [5] upon accepting Yi-Wen Jiang, who the Li brothers had already known,[5] as the second violinist, Honggang learned to play the viola in order to complete the quartet.[8]

Honggang has been a soloist with the Shanghai Philharmonic and the Shanghai Conservatory Orchestra. In 1987 he was given a prize at the Premio Paolo Borciani Competition in Italy by Elisa Pegreffi.[2]

Nicholas Tzavaras

Nicholas Tzavaras is the only American member of the Shanghai Quartet, having grown up in Harlem in New York City. He studied cello at the New England Conservatory and at the State University of New York Stony Brook. As a graduate student, he began a cello program for the Opus 118 Music Center in East Harlem. He is now an advisory board member for the program. Nicholas was previously on the faculty at the University of Richmond and is currently the string department coordinator and cello professor at Montclair State University. He became the cellist for the Shanghai Quartet in 2000 when past cellist James Wilson left the ensemble.[2]

Nicholas has toured with "Musicians from Marlboro" and Madonna. He has made appearances on MTV, VH1, David Letterman, and at the White House to perform for President Bill Clinton. He has recorded for labels including Delos, BIS Records, Camerata, and New Albion. He has appeared in the Academy Award nominated documentary "Small Wonders" and in the major motion picture "Music of the Heart" with Meryl Streep.[2]

Former members

Xing-Hua Ma, cellist 1983-1985.[5] Zheng Wang, violist 1983-1994.[8] Kathe Jarke, cellist 1986-1990.[5] James Wilson, cellist 1990-2000.[2] Yi-Wen Jiang, violinist 1994-2020.[9]

Discography
Year Title Label Features
1994 Grieg and Mendelssohn Quartets Delos Mendelssohn Quartet No.2 In A Major and Grieg Quartet In G Minor, Op.27
1994 Spirit Murmur Delos Works by Alan Hovhaness including Three Bagatelles for String Quartet Op. 30, String Quartet No. 1 Op. 8, and Suite from String Quartet No. 2
1995 Music for a Sunday Morning Delos Eugenia Zukerman and Anthony Newman, includes Ginastera Impresiones de la Puna, J.S. Bach Overture Suite No. 2 in B-Minor BWV 1067
1995 Heigh-Ho Mozart (only tracks) Delos
1996 Mozart's Last Two Quartets Delos Includes Quartet No. 22 B-Flat Major K. 589 and Quartet No. 23 in F Major K. 590
1997 The Hovhaness Collection (only tracks) Delos
1998 Shanghai Quartet Plays Brahms Delos Arnold Steinhardt, includes Quartet no. 3 op. 67 Quintet no. 1 op. 88
1998 Flowing Stream Delos Min Xiao-Fen, includes Zhou Long Chinese Folk Songs (arr.) and Poems from Tang
2000 Brahms Piano Quartets Arabesque Recordings Ruth Laredo, includes Quartet No. 1 in G Minor Op. 25, Quartet No. 3 in C Minor Op. 60, and Quartet No. 2 in A Major Op. 26
2001 Shanghai Quartet performs Ravel and Bridge Delos Includes Maurice Ravel String Quartet in F Major, Frank Bridge Quartet in E Minor, and Frank Bridge Novelletten for String Quartet
2002 Chinasong Delos Includes traditional and popular Chinese folk songs arranged for string quartet by Yi-Wen Jiang. Also features flautist Eugenia Zukerman.
2003 Bright Sheng: Silent Temple Bis Includes New Music from Composer Bright Sheng for Piano Trio as well as music for piano, strings, and pipa, a traditional Chinese instrument.
2004 Beethoven: The Razumovsky Quartets Delos Includes Beethoven String Quartet No. 8 Op. 59, nr. 2 in E Minor, and No. 9 Op. 59 nr. 3 in C Major.
2005 Melinda and Melinda Soundtrack (only tracks) Milan Records Soundtrack for a Woody Allen Film, String Quartet No. 4
2005 Dvorák: String Quartet No. 12 "The American"; Mendelssohn: String Octet Camerata
2007 Beethoven: String Quartets CD Accord
2007 Beethoven: String Quartets Camerata Op. 18, Nos. 1-3
2008 Beethoven: String Quartets Camerata Op. 18, Nos. 4-6
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References
  1. Tang, Rudolph. "Tianjin Juilliard, Shanghai Quartet Fire Violinist Over Offensive Post". Musical America. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  2. http://www.shanghaiquartet.com
  3. "Shanghai Quartet makes Worcester Debut Feb. 6." Telegram & Gazette [Worcester] 27 Jan. 1993: C4. ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2009.
  4. ""We'd like to jump-start the China Chamber Music Scene." Financial Times [London] 24 Oct. 2003: 14. ProQuest. Web. 8 Oct. 2009.
  5. "Have Strings, Will Travel Founded in China and based in Virginia, the 11-year-old Shanghai Quartet tries to raise its recognition level in a crowded marketplace." Los Angeles Times 26 Feb. 1995: 4. ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2009.
  6. "Fisk, quartet are splendid // Shanghai Quartet and guitarist are a beautiful blend." Telegram & Gazette [Worcester] 20 Nov. 1998: C3. ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2009.
  7. "Shanghai Quartet to Remain at the University of Richmond as Distinguished Visiting Artists" Archived 2007-06-25 at Archive.today
  8. "Music Reviews; Shanghai Quartet Blends Old, New for Unified Sound." Los Angeles Times 21 Nov. 1996: 10. ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2009.
  9. "Tianjin Juilliard School faculty member Jiang Yiwen fired over racist comments". www.globaltimes.cn. The Global Times. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
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