performers
PUBLIQuartet
Described by The Washington Post as “a perfect encapsulation of today’s trends in chamber music,” PUBLIQuartet (PQ) is a multi-GRAMMY-nominated string quartet celebrated for its improvisational approach and genre-blending performances. Winner of the 2013 Concert Artists Guild New Music/New Places Award and Chamber Music America’s 2019 Visionary Award, PQ reimagines classical repertoire while incorporating jazz, world music, and contemporary composition.
The ensemble has performed at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Library of Congress, as well as prominent jazz festivals. PQ has held artist residencies at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and National Sawdust, and their 2016 viral performance on The Colbert Report—an improvised soundtrack to a presidential debate—earned widespread acclaim. Their 2023-2024 season features collaborations with jazz icons Hiromi, Diane Monroe, and Magos Herrera.
PQ’s 2022 GRAMMY®-nominated album, What Is American, explores the deep connections between Black, Indigenous, and classical American music. Committed to inclusivity, they lead programs like Carnegie Hall’s PlayUSA and the PUBLIQ Access initiative, promoting underrepresented composers. Their MIND | THE | GAP series creatively fuses musical styles, including a multimedia tribute to Madam C.J. Walker.
Founded in 2010 and based in New York City, PUBLIQuartet features Curtis Stewart, violin; Jannina Norpoth, violin; Nick Revel, viola; and Hamilton Berry, cello.
Performances
with PUBLIQuartet
Admission-free
PUBLIQuartet's fun, interactive workshops focus on the basics of improvisation and include games, demonstrations, and simple interactive exercises that explore key elements of all music: rhythm, harmony, melody, texture, and imagination. Workshop participants of all musical levels – from absolute beginner to highly experienced – are invited to explore on-the-spot music making guided by members of this civically minded and critically acclaimed ensemble.
Admission-free
The award-winning PUBLIQuartet is an improvising string quartet whose repertoire blends genres and highlights American multiculturalism. In 2019 they garnered Chamber Music America’s prestigious Visionary Award for their outstanding and inventive approach to a broad range of musical styles and genres. This evening’s program includes new compositions interspersed with reinterpretations of music by Julia Perry, Duke Ellington, and Sun Ra.