Strings

May 20, 2025

CCM graduate student ensemble the Poiesis Quartet is the only quartet in the USA to compete in the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC). At CCM, the Poiesis Quartet studies chamber music with the Ariel Quartet. Members are AD student Sarah Ying Ma, violin; AD student Max Ball, violin; AD student Jasper de Boor; and AD student Drew Dansby, cello.

UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of Kenneth Renshaw as CCM's new Assistant Professor of Violin. His faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15, 2025. Born and raised in San Francisco, Renshaw came to international attention in 2012 after winning First Prize at the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition in Beijing. He was also a prize winner in the Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition of Belgium, and First Prize recipient of the inaugural Manhattan International Concert Artists Competition.

UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of Brian Hong as CCM's new Assistant Professor of Viola. His faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15, 2025. Hong has established a notable career as a critically acclaimed performer, inspiring pedagogue and successful music administrator. As the violist of the GRAMMY-nominated Aizuri Quartet from 2023-2025, he premiered major new works on nationally renowned chamber music series and conducted residencies at universities across the United States.

April 25, 2025

Four CCM faculty members were recently highlighted in a New York Times roundup of notable new classical music albums. Entitled "5 Classical Music Albums You Can Listen to Right Now," the article spotlights the new album of Beethoven's string quartets performed by the Ariel Quartet, which has served as CCM's string quartet-in-residence since 2012. The ensemble is comprised of four CCM faculty members: Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola.

April 7, 2025

The CCM Philharmonia student orchestra continued its 2024-25 concert season on Feb. 19, performing works inspired by the natural wonders and legends of Northern Europe and Russia. Dubbed "Northern Lights," the eclectic program included concertos by composers Alexander Scriabin and Sergei Prokofiev, giving student soloists a chance to shine. The concert concluded with a rarely-heard pairing of two stunning works by Finnish master Jean Sibelius. Selections from that concert are now available for on-demand viewing.