“With high risks came high reward, and the Arneis Quartet offered an intense, indelible experience…” (The Boston Globe)
The Arneis Quartet performs an eclectic range of programs from the standard to contemporary, including commissions of new works and interdisciplinary collaborations in New England and throughout the world. Known for playing with “a conviction that commands attention” (Fanfare) and “a unique collective sound which is as warm and full of sparkle as liquid gold” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), the quartet is playfully named after the Arneis grape—a varietal that is difficult to grow, but which yields an exquisite white wine.
The Boston-based Arneis Quartet has brought their energetic approach and adventurous programming to traditional concert venues as well as salon-style concerts and community engagement activities since 2009. Collaborating with living composers serves as a key part of the quartet’s artistic mission. Gramophone praised their “vivacious rendition” of Elena Ruehr’s String Quartet No. 8 on a recently released recording of her works. Arneis collaborated with Coro Allegro to premiere Andrea Clearfield’s here i am: i am here, based on open letters by LGBTQ+ youth advocates Mimi Lemay and Sam Brinton. Other recent premieres and collaborations include works by Jonathan Berger, Julien Labro, Ketty Nez, Aaron Travers, and John H. Wallace. Future projects are in development with Susie Ibarra, Van Anh Vo, and Anthony Green.
Committed to community engagement and music education, the Quartet has worked with music students at the Boston Arts Academy, Perkins School for the Blind, and the Boston Public Schools. Quartet members are on the faculties of Boston University and St. Anselm College; the Quartet also works with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras and work with students in the Intensive Community Program. Outside of their Boston home, Arneis has taught master classes and served as a residency quartet at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Point Counterpoint, Swarthmore College and Lyceum Music Festival. They have brought their programs to communities in California, Michigan, Ohio, and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
-Revised January 19, 2023; please discard versions retrieved before this date.