Bayberry String Quartet
Nurit Pacht and Steffani Kitayama, violins
Gabe Bolkosky, viola
Laura Usiskin, cello
The Bayberry String Quartet, known for its dynamic performances and fresh interpretations, embraces chamber music’s power to unite, inspire, and delight. Now in its ninth season, the BSQ continues to command the stage in prestigious concert halls across the country, including Carnegie Hall, the Chautauqua Institution, and Lincoln Center.
“Your artistry gives life to my music” (Pulitzer-Prize winner Ellen Taaffe Zwilich). The BSQ performs heralded masterpieces, hidden gems, and recent releases by living composers, woven together thematically to create an immersive experience that connects the quartet with the audience. Standard programs, lecture concerts, and scripted narrations are among the experiential offerings that the BSQ provides. The quartet imbues its performances with stylistic variety, ranging from historically-informed interpretations of early works to subtlety and sensitivity in new music. Its artistic reach extends beyond traditional performance, embracing innovative collaborations such as its genre-blending rendition of Edgar Winter Group’s “Frankenstein”.
The quartet’s growing discography began in 2024 with its début album Only Mozarts in the Building, featuring the complete Mozart “Milanese” string quartets, K. 155-160. “The performances are DELIGHTFUL – so full of joy and elegance” (Nicolas McGegan, early music specialist) The following year, after performing Infloribus by Livia Teodorescu at Carnegie Hall, the quartet released a recording of the work on Cicerone Records. Upcoming albums include Voyage, an exploration of travels that influenced Prokofiev, Dvořák, and Zwillich, and Alcyone by Douglas Boyce, to be released on New Focus Records alongside a video interpretation of the work.
Education is a cornerstone of BSQ’s mission to engage with people of all ages and backgrounds. Initiatives include summer institutes, weekend workshops, and school visits ranging in age from Kindergarten through college. The BSQ has developed several curricula that offer a thoughtful, structured approach to chamber music education. During the pandemic, the quartet created the virtual chamber music approach “PhoenixPhest Virtual”, where they coached student and professional groups across North America in online workshops. Through their individual and collaborative work, the four musicians have impacted the lives of thousands of musicians.
The BSQ consists of its four founding members: Nurit Pacht (violin), Steffani Kitayama (violin), Gabe Bolkosky (viola), and Laura Usiskin (cello).