GVSU Arts Celebration

“The ensemble replicated the sounds of water.” – The New York Times

The Grammy Award-winning Ying Quartet occupies a unique position in the classical music world, combining brilliantly communicative performances with an imaginative and inclusive view of chamber music’s role in contemporary society. Now in its third decade, the Quartet has performed in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, while also bringing music to more unexpected places—schools, workplaces, juvenile prisons, and even the White House.

The Quartet first came to national attention in the early 1990s as the inaugural recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Rural Residency Grant, serving as the resident quartet of Jesup, Iowa. Their performances for audiences of six to six hundred in homes, schools, banks, and churches shaped their enduring belief in the power of music to build community and foster human connection. 

In the 2025–26 season, the Quartet performs with Chamber Music Hamilton, Feldman Chamber Music Society, Huntsville Chamber Music Guild, Westchester Chamber Music Society, Chamber Music Society of Williamsburg, Chamber Music Society of Utica, Evergreen Woods, and the Port Townsend Chamber Music Series. 

Through its LifeMusic commissioning project, the Quartet has built an impressive body of work reflecting contemporary American life. Supported by the Institute for American Music, this initiative has featured composers such as Billy Childs, Lera Auerbach, Lowell Liebermann, Sebastian Currier, and John Novacek.

Their discography spans a wide repertoire and has earned widespread acclaim. Highlights include “American Anthem,” featuring music by Barber, Thompson, and Hanson; the Grammy-nominated Tchaikovsky quartets and Souvenir de Florence (Telarc); and a Schumann/Beethoven collaboration with cellist Zuill Bailey, featuring transcriptions of the Schumann Cello Concerto and Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata.

The Ying Quartet is quartet-in-residence at the Eastman School of Music, where they lead a robust chamber music program, including the “Music for All” initiative, which brings performances into community spaces. They are also ensemble-in-residence at the Bowdoin International Music Festival and were formerly Blodgett Artists-in-Residence at Harvard University.

The Ying Quartet comprises Robin Scott and Janet Ying, violins; Phillip Ying, viola; and David Ying, cello.

Monday, October 5, 2025, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Van Solkema Recital Hall, Haas Center for the Performing Arts, Valley Campus
Free with a reserved ticket <need link>

The Grammy Award winning Ying Quartet will present a concert that projects Mozart’s forward-looking “Dissonance” Quartet to the present time. Jazz arranger/composer Billy Childs bridges the gap between the vernacular and classical idioms and has written specifically for the Yings. This concert includes:

W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in C major, K. 465 “Dissonance”
Billy Childs: Variation on a Rondo
Billy Childs: Oscuro
Billy Childs: Agitato

Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Cook-DeWitt Center, Valley Campus
Free with a reserved ticket <need link>

Truly a cornerstone of the classical repertoire, Schubert’s magnificent Quintet in C Major was published and first performed posthumously. Closing their 3-day residency at GVSU, the Grammy Award winning Ying Quartet is joined by Grand Valley professor Pablo Mahave-Veglia for this performance. This concert includes:

Schubert Cello Quintet in C Major op. Posthumous