Page 228 - PDF Flip TR Program Demo

228
The Music at Tippet Rise
Founded in the heart of Los Angeles and currently based in New York, the Calidore String Quartet comes out west to make their Montana debut this summer at Tippet Rise. Cellist Estelle Choi represents the quartet in this interview, and tells us about the quartet’s group dynamic, origins, and history.
Devanney Haruta: How did the quartet start?
Estelle Choi: The Colburn School [in Los Angeles] is very much at the root of our foundation. We all went to school there. They were incredibly supportive in the early years, making sure that we had the teaching and the mentorship that we needed. Right off the bat, we started doing competitions. We ended up doing quite well, and for us, that seemed like a sign, that maybe the universe was telling us something. So, very early on we all took our blood oaths and said we’re going to give one hundred percent to playing string quartets. From that point on, it’s been pretty much complete devotion to the quartet.
DH: Can you identify what it is about you four that is integral to the cohesion of the ensemble?
EC: I think a lot of it has to do with combined work ethic. We all strive for excellence. We’re never satisfied, we always want something to be improved. There has to be this passion for bringing the music alive. I think when four people agree on this concept, you can go very far. The other thing is that we all get along really well. It’s not to say we don’t ever argue, but I think we also have a great sense of humor. We’re able to laugh it off, and we don’t get hung up on things. We’re able to let go of issues and come back to them later with a cooler head. As a string quartet, we travel all the time together, and we’re around each other for sometimes 12 hours a day. The ease of being able to let things go, and even to reconsider and try new ideas has been really important for our physical and mental health.
CONVERSATION WITH
CALIDORE QUARTET