Arneis Quartet- 2010 ICMEC Special Mention Award Winner

The Arneis Quartet was formed in 2007 at Boston University under the tutelage of the Muir String Quartet. The ensemble’s namesake is the Arneis grape, which is an Italian varietal. Arneis (literally: little rascal, in Piedmontese) is so called because it is regarded as a somewhat difficult variety to grow, but with care and patience it can produce an exquisite wine, just as fastidious rehearsal of chamber music can yield great performances. Arneis has been in residence at the Banff Centre in Canada, and has twice attended the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar in New York City, culminating in performances at Lincoln Center. As prizewinners in the 2010 ICMEC Competition Arneis recently performed in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. The quartet serves as the core of the Arneis Ensemble, broadening its repertoire to include pieces for various combinations of strings, winds, piano and voice.

Arneis has coached with members of the Muir, Emerson, Brentano, Takacs, St. Lawrence, Juilliard, and Schoenberg quartets. Arneis has collaborated with violist Michelle LaCourse (as part of the Boston University Faculty Recital Series), pianist Stephen Prutsman and soprano Tony Arnold. Interdisciplinary projects are also of great interest to the quartet and the Arneis plans to pursue active relationships with literary and visual artists as well as musicologists and scholars from other disciplines. The quartet also seeks to breathe new life into the classical repertoire by performing works of contemporary composers. Arneis will be premiering Donald Wheelock’s String Quartet No. 5 and Jason Barabba’s Four Erie Canal Songs for String Quartet in the 2010-2011 season.

The members of the ensemble are committed to outreach and education and are on the faculties of Boston University (adjunct), the Dana Hall School of Music, Wellesley Public Schools, and the Chestnut Hill School. Each member also maintains an active private teaching studio, and Arneis is working to enlarge its ensemble outreach presentations to local schools and community groups. They can be heard regularly performing in concert halls at Boston University, St. Paul’s Church in Brookline and other venues in the greater Boston area.  This season the quartet will also be performing in various venues in Michigan and Ohio on its Midwest Tour, and has been invited to participate in the Emerging Quartets and Composers Program in Park City, UT and the St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar at Stanford University. Arneis will also be returning to the Juilliard Quartet Seminar and to the Banff Centre.