Clay Hancock, violin | Arun Asthagiri, violin | Nathan Emans, viola | Sophia Knappe, cello

The Boston-based Kroma Quartet hails from the New England Conservatory and is composed of violinists Clayton Hancock and Arun Asthagiri, violist Nathan Emans, and cellist Sophia Knappe. Together, the four have embarked on a pursuit to realize timeless music with creativity, candor, curiosity, risk-taking, and humor.

Clay takes the stage across the United States and internationally, performing as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician, and he looks at music from new perspectives, reimagining classical beauty. For Arun, music is a form of self-expression that provokes. While being recognized for his chamber and solo performing, he combines his art with a passion for science and technology. Nathan has pursued chamber music intensively with mentorship from the Verona, Borromeo, Omer, and Parker string quartets and attended Tanglewood last summer. Sophia has been praised for her outstanding musicianship, working closely with members of the Borromeo Quartet and performing in Carnegie Hall as a member of the Tre Voce Piano Trio.

The Kroma Quartet won NEC’s Honors Ensemble competition in the fall of 2023, which opened the door to many exciting professional and community engagements on their horizons. Notably, they have a residency with the Virginia Arts Festival this April. The month after, their work over the past year will culminate in a recital in Boston’s Jordan Hall featuring a unique program that traverses groundbreaking music from Haydn, Beethoven, and Schnittke. Outside of performing and rehearsing, the Kroma Quartet enjoys making ice cream floats, playing Nintendo Switch, and laughing with one another.