Borealis String Quartet
"The Borealis String Quartet was first to perform last night and served notice with the lightning attack of the initial bars that they were not going to let anyone cling to their sober stereotypes of classical music and chamber quartets. The four musicians from British Columbia practically flew out their chairs, so vigorous and physical was their playing"
— The Globe and Mail, Toronto
Friday, January 15 at 8 PM ~ Academy Hall
[Program]
Admission $20 -
STUDENTS: 18 & under free with student ticket voucher (excluding Carols by Candlelight)
Tickets are available at the
Academy Box Office 7280 Kemano Street, Monday – Thursday 9:30 - 4:30
Tel 604 485 9633
And at the door 30 minutes before the concert
BOREALIS STRING QUARTET
Patricia Shih, violin
Yuel Yawney, violin
Nikita Pogrebnoy, viola
Shih-Lin Chen, cello
At the vanguard among exciting new quartets, the Borealis String Quartet has created a sensation with its dynamic performances, passionate style, and refined musical interpretations. Featured frequently on the CBC Radio, the Borealis String Quartet has performed to critical acclaim and sold-out concert halls throughout Canada and is now making a name for itself in the U.S. The Borealis is the Quartet-in- Residence at the University of British Columbia where its members give regular master classes and teach chamber music at the School of Music.
Formed in the fall of 2000, the Borealis String Quartet established a stellar reputation so quickly that its debut concert drew thousands to Vancouver. The Borealis made its New York City debut for Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music in 2003, and in 2004-2005, the Quartet returned to New York to perform for Schneider Concerts and made its first appearance for Music Toronto. Subsequent seasons have seen the Quartet performing on prestigious series throughout North America, including performances in the 2008-2009 season at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Seattle Symphony’s Benaroya Hall, and at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
A longtime favorite at Canadian festivals, the Quartet’s summer venues have included the Vancouver Chamber Music Festival, the Festival of the Sound in Ontario, the Indian River Festival on Prince Edward Island, and the Baies des Chaleurs Festival in New Brunswick. The Borealis made its first U.S. festival appearance at the Mendocino Music Festival in California, and in the summer of 2009 undertook a ten-day residency at Mexico’s Festival de Música de Cámara de Aguascalientes.
Devoted to performing other chamber music repertoire, the Borealis has collaborated with many different artists, including clarinetist James Campbell, pianist Luba Dubinsky, and cellist Sadao Harada. Additionally, the Quartet has worked and collaborated with members of the Borodin, Emerson, and Tokyo String Quartets. The Borealis has also dedicated itself to the promotion of new works, including those by Murray Schaefer and Steven Chatman, and have commissioned works from Imant Raminsh, Kelly-Marie Murphy, and John Oliver. The Borealis String Quartet’s critically acclaimed CD – Classic Borealis (Skylark Records) – was nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award. Additionally, the Quartet will be producing a number of recordings for the Chimei Foundation over the next three years.
In December 2006 the Quartet received a sponsorship from the influential Chimei Culture Foundation of Taiwan, allowing them the use of four historic instruments.
The Borealis String Quartet acknowledges the support of the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council.
