UBC Reports | Vol. 46 | No. 19 | November 30, 2000

House strings ready to bow

UBC now has a string quartet in residence.

The four young professional musicians are part of a new training program on campus.

The program is the realization of a vision of Music Prof. Andrew Dawes and faculty colleagues to have a world-class string quartet based in the School of Music.

Violinists Patricia Shih and Yuel Yawney, violist Nikita Pogrebnoy and cellist Joel Stobbe will be in residence for two years.

The quartet's goal for the first year is to learn repertoire, develop their craft and perform with the aim of competing in August at the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition. In the second year the quartet will continue to perform and mentor undergraduate and graduate music students, participate in interdisciplinary and interactive learning across faculties, give master classes and engage in outreach programs to local high schools and colleges. The musicians' first official concert, featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven and Prokofiev, will be held at the Chan Centre Jan. 20 at 8 p.m. Admission is by donation.