For over a decade, through the generous support of Richard and Rita Eykamp, the Evansville Philharmonic and the University of Evansville have had the unique distinction of having a Resident Quartet to enrich the musical, cultural and educational activities of the Evansville community. Since 2012, the Eykamp String Quartet Artists in Residence position has been held by the Larchmere String Quartet. As the Resident Artists of the University of Evansville and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the Quartet works regularly with students at the University of Evansville and the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, performs as the principal players of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra and serves as ambassadors of chamber music performance and educational outreach across the tri-state, nationally, and abroad.
Dedicated to bringing the accessibility of chamber music to all audiences, the members of the quartet have performed regularly on the international stage in venues such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Gewandhaus, the KKL and Suntory Hall, as well as the most intimate settings including community centers and schools. Along with festival appearances at the Banff Centre (Canada) and Accademia Chigiana (Sienna, Italy), the quartet has most recently toured in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, Alabama, Indiana, and Florida. Projects for the upcoming 2014-15 season include a commercial Naxos recording of the complete string chamber works of Stefan Krehl, concert tours and teaching workshops across Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, and Florida, and serving as Artistic Directors of the inaugural Harlaxton Chamber Music Festival in Grantham, England.
Devoted to music education and performance, the members of the quartet have previously taught at a variety of institutions, including University of Illinois, Indiana University, Johns Hopkins University and DePauw University, and given string and chamber music master classes, lectures and workshops such as Denver University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Rice University, the University of South Florida, and the University of Southern Maine. Additionally, they continue to inspire thousands of young music students through their ongoing work with youth orchestras, at summer music festivals, and in K-12 interactive educational workshops across the US, Canada, and Europe.
Passionate about performing the works of living composers as well as the 20th century masters, member of the quartet have commissioned, premiered and performed works by composers including David Dzubay, Don Freund, Eugene O’Brien, Gabriela Ortiz, Augusta Read Thomas, and Pierre Boulez.
