Quartet Davis is a string quartet that plays and sings in multiple non-classical styles. Through their musical upbringings in fiddle traditions and blues-based musics, Quartet Davis blends original compositions, compelling arrangements, and vocal harmonies, bringing a fresh spirit of creativity to chamber music. Improvisation is central to their creative process, informing solos, freely improvised pieces, and spontaneous discovery within performance.

 

All experienced in teaching and outreach, Quartet Davis is eager to explore musical possibilities with young students and envisions a future where string players will be fluent across a range of musical idioms. Quartet Davis offers educational workshops on improvisation, arranging, and chamber music playing for students of all ages.

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Background

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Members Camille Vogley-Howes and Molly Tucker, violin, Emily Edelstein, viola, and Karl Henry, cello, met while studying at Oberlin Conservatory. They formed on a US-Embassy sponsored trip to Amman, Jordan in January 2017 where they performed and taught at schools, community centers, and concert halls.

Through the Flint Initiative Grant, they embarked on their first tour in January 2018, performing, holding workshops, and working with renowned creative string musicians. As teachers, they encourage their students to develop strong ears, to learn and compose away from the page, and to explore trust and creativity in ensemble playing. They have worked with such musicians as Chris Thile, Alex Hargreaves, Cedric Easton, Christian Howes, Jamey Haddad, Camila Meza, and Fabian Almazan. In 2019, they were awarded the String Quartet Fellowship at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music. They have also been featured at the Sioux River Folk Festival in Canton, South Dakota and the Lea Mattson Collective Festival in Boulder, CO. They have performed at such venues as Club Passim, Port City Blue, and Culture Lab LIC, in addition to numerous bars, schools, and museums. Quartet Davis released their debut album Three Lefts Make a Right in September 2020.

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Teaching

 

As an ensemble, Quartet Davis has led workshops at a variety of schools and with a wide range of students. All experienced in teaching and outreach, they are eager to explore musical possibilities with young students and envision a future where string players will be fluent across a range of musical styles. Prior to forming their ensemble, the members of Quartet Davis spent a week teaching music intensively alongside one another as part of a U.S.-Embassy sponsored trip to Amman, Jordan through Oberlin Conservatory. On this tour they provided performances and workshops to primarily high school students. On their tours as an ensemble, they have also taught at various schools and music programs with students ranging from elementary to high school. See below for a full list of programs and schools for which Quartet Davis has provided workshops or classes. 

 

Talal Abu-Ghazaleh University — Amman, Jordan 
Amman Baccalaureate School — Amman, Jordan 
International Academy Amman — Amman, Jordan 
Amman Baptist Academy — Amman, Jordan

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Rainbow Community School — Asheville, NC
Monique Pinelli Suzuki Group Class — Asheville, NC 
Columbus Alternative High School — Columbus, OH 
Fort Hayes High School — Columbus, OH
Chamber Music Connection — Wellington, OH
Lexington High School — Boston, MA