Emily Carr String Quartet
Biography Emily Carr String Quartet
The Emily Carr String Quartet
has established itself as one of BC's finest music ensembles. Formed in 2006 by members of the Victoria Symphony and the Aventa Ensemble of Victoria BC, the Emily Carr String Quartet has performed in Canada, the USA and Europe. They have participated in residencies at Stanford University and the Banff Centre and have collaborated with artists such as: the Lafayette String Quartet, Marion Newman, Jamie Parker, Lorraine Min, Arthur Rowe, the Alcan Quartet and the Tin Alley Quartet. They have performed for: "ISCM's 2017 World Music Days", "Music in the Morning" and "Music on Main" concert series in Vancouver, the Ankara Music Festival, Hornby Festival, Victoria Summer Music Festival and the IAMA Canadian Music Showcase in Montreal. The ECSQ has been featured on CBC radio's "North by Northwest" and their CD "Hidden Treasure" was nominated for the 2012 classical recording of the year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.
The quartet has also done much to honour the celebrated local artist, Emily Carr. They perform works that pay homage to her, such as Jean Coulthard’s "Pines of Emily Carr", and have incorporated her writings into some concerts, most notably in a summer series held at Emily Carr House in 2006, 2012 and 2014. In 2011, as part of the Victoria Symphony’s Emily Carr Project, the quartet participated in the première of "Stories from Klee Wyck" by local composer Tobin Stokes. The ECSQ is also devoted to contemporary music, and has commissioned five complete works from Canadian West Coast composers inspired by Carr’s work: "Feathers" (2014) by Tobin Stokes, "Big Raven" (2015) by Jocelyn Morlock, ”Strangled by Growth" (2016) by Jared Miller, a song cycle for string quartet and mezzo-soprano called “Songs for Klee Wyck” (2017, 2018, 2019) by Jennifer Butler and “Friends” an additional movement to “ Stories from Klee Wyck” (2023) by Tobin Stokes.
In addition to the ECSQ's concert schedule, the quartet has performed for Health Arts, a society that books artists to perform in care facilities throughout the province of BC. The quartet, in association with the Victoria Symphony, has also presented "Concerts for Kids"; bringing string quartet music to elementary schools around Victoria.
The Emily Carr String Quartet is inspired by Emily Carr's diverse body of artwork. It represents to them not only an artist's experience of life in Victoria but also the spirit of the west coast of Canada. For the honour of bearing Emily Carr's name, the quartet thanks Emily Carr House of Victoria, BC.
