Callisto Quartet Invited to 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition

The Callisto Quartet, comprised of four student musicians at the Cleveland Institute of Music, has been selected by a distinguished jury of internationally recognized musicians to compete in the 2018 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. The prestigious Wigmore Competition is exclusively for string quartets with members all under the age of 35, and is held triennially in London, England.

CIM’s Callisto Quartet is one of just 12 ensembles selected to participate, and many of their competitors are fully professional quartets working in residencies and touring. They are one of three US-based quartets selected for the competition. Callisto Quartet members are violinists Paul Aguilar and Rachel Stenzel, violist Eva Kennedy and cellist Hannah Moses.

“We found out last week, and we’ve been on such a high,” said Moses. “The novelty hasn’t worn off yet. We worked incredibly hard this summer – we went to the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and McGill International String Quartet Academy, where we rehearsed together for six or seven hours every day and learned a lot of repertoire. That experience is paying off now with this opportunity.”

Si-Yan Darren Li, their coach and cellist of CIM’s Cavani Quartet, says: “Paul, Rachel, Eva and Hannah are some of the most diligent and focused young musicians I know. We have great chemistry working together. This is one of the most important international string quartet competitions, and it takes so much more than luck to be invited. I and all my colleagues in CIM’s chamber music department are incredibly proud of the Callisto Quartet – they’ve accomplished so much already in the 15 months they’ve played together, and to be recognized like this so early in their career is truly amazing. I believe they have a very promising future ahead of them!”

Read the full press release, here.