St. Petersburg String Quartet performing at Berea College Thursday, March 11

Part of Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial Concert Series for 2009-2010, the performance is free and open to all.

The St. Petersburg Quartet was founded in 1985 as the Leningrad Quartet by Alla Aranovskaya, Alla Krolevich (Goryainova) and Leonid Shukayev, all three graduates of the Leningrad Conservatory.  The Quartet blazed a trail through international chamber music competitions, winning First Prize at the All-Soviet Union String Quartet Competition, the Silver Medal and a Special Prize at the Tokyo International Competition of Chamber Ensembles, First Prize and both Special Prizes at the Vittorio Gui International Competition for Chamber Ensembles in Florence, Italy, and First Prize and the “Grand Prix Musica Viva” at the International Competition for Chamber Ensembles in Melbourne, Australia.

In 1988, second violinist Alla Krolevich immigrated to Israel but in October 2005 re-joined the Quartet.  Violist Boris Vayner joined the Quartet in January of 2005.  When the city of Leningrad resumed its historic name, the Quartet changed its name to the St. Petersburg String Quartet.

The Quartet has continued its ascendancy, building a reputation of worldwide proportions including a Grammy nomination, “Best Record” honors in both Stereo Review and Gramophone Magazines, and the Chamber Music America/WQXR Prize for Best CD of 2001.  This season, the quartet plans to release new CDs of Ravel and Debussy quartets along with the complete chamber works of Tchaikovsky.  The Quartet held the respected position of Quartet-in-Residence at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music from 1999 to 2003.

Audiences from Toronto to Tokyo, from Lithuania to London and in music halls across the United States have given the St. Petersburg Quartet standing ovations.  During 2007 and 2008, the quartet performed in Great Britain, Germany, Mexico, Holland, and at Lincoln Center in New York City the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

For more about Berea College Convocations, visit www.berea.edu/convocations