The Academy’s robust chamber music program has resulted in numerous national competition gold, silver and bronze medals since its inception in 2006. Chamber ensembles are coached by Academy artist faculty.

Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition

Academy chamber groups have taken first place in the Junior Division in four of the past five years and earned five additional top medals.

Junior Division Gold Medal (6)

  • 2018 - Kairos String Quartet - Joshua Brown and Julian Rhee, violin/viola, Thompson Wang, violin, Lydia Rhea, cello
  • 2013 - Quartet Lumière  - Rebecca Benjamin and Gallia Kastner, violin, Mira Williams, viola, Josiah Yoo, cello
  • 2012 - Quartet Stracciatella - Erika Gray and Hyun-Jae Lim, violin, Stephanie Block, viola, Johannes Gray, cello
  • 2010 - Quartet Danaë  - Zachary Spontak and Sophia Cho, violin, Leah Ferguson, viola, Benjamin Fried, cello
  • 2009 - Aurelia String Quartet - Susie Koh and Laura Park, violin, Arianna Smith, viola, Allan Steele, cello
  • 2008 -  Quartet Polaris - Andrea Jarrett and Vincent Meklis, violin, Matthew Lipman, viola, Gabrial Cabezas, cello

Silver Medal (4)

  • 2020 Dasani String Quartet - Isabella Brown, Katya Moeller, violin, Zechary Mo, viola, Brandon Cheng, cello (Virtual Competition)
  • 2014 Vox Quartet - Hansuh Rhee and Serena Harnack, violin, Mira Williams, viola, Nathan Mo, cello
  • 2010 Emerald Quartet - Kenneth Jones-Madrid, Ethan Hoppe, Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, violin/viola, Alexander Hersh, cello
  • 2008 Ridere Quartet - Emma Steele, Ryan Meehan, Samantha Bennett, violin/viola, Mindy Park, cello

Bronze Medal (4)

  • 2016 Vibrante String Quartet - Hannah White and Zachary Brandon, violin, Freya Irani, viola, Leevy Williams, cello
  • 2012 Quartet Ardella - Laura Park and Jennifer Cha, violin, Devon Naftzger, viola, Ben Solomonow, cello
  • 2009 Quartet Danae - Natsuki Kumagai and Sophia Cho, violin, Leah Ferguson, viola, Ben Fried, cello
  • 2008 Aurelia String Quartet - Laura Park and Susie Koh, violin, Arianna Smith, viola, Allan Steele, cello

Honorable Mention (2)

  • 2015 Atara String Quartet - Hannah White and Karisa Chiu, violin, Tess Krope, viola, Krystian Chiu, cello
  • 2012 Pallas Trio - Kelly Talim, violin, Mariel Werner, cello, Kate Liu, piano

St. Paul String Quartet Competition

  • 2016 - 3rd, Quartet Degas - Maya Buchanan and Joshua Brown, violin, Tess Krope, viola, Josiah Yoo, cello
  • 2015 - 1st, Gold, Atara String Quartet - Hannah White and Karisa Chiu, violin, Tess Krope, viola, Krystian Chiu, cello
  • 2014 - 2nd, Silver, Atara String Quartet - Hannah White and Karisa Chiu, violin, Tess Krope, viola, Krystian Chiu, cello
  • 2012 - Audience Prize and Haydn Prize for best interpretation of the master's work - Quartet Ventoso - Erika Gray and Jennifer Cha, violin, Caitlin Adamson, viola, Johannes Gray, cello
  • 2010 - 1st, Gold, Emerald String Quartet - Kenneth Jones-Madrid, Ethan Hoppe, Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, violin/viola, Alexander Hersh, cello
  • 2nd, Silver, Quartet Danae - Zachary Spontak and Sophia Cho, violin, Leah Ferguson, viola, Ben Fried, cello
  • 2009 1st, Gold, Aurelia String Quartet - Laura Park and Susie Koh, violin, Arianna Smith, viola, Allan Steele, cello
  • 2nd, Silver, Quartet Danae - Natsuki Kumagai and Sophia Cho, violin, Leah Ferguson, viola, Benjamin Fried, cello
  • 2008 - Silver, Quartet Polaris - Andrea Jarrett and Vincent Meklis, violins, Matthew Lipman, viola, Gabriel Cabezas
  • 2007 - 1st, Gold, Ridere Quartet - Emma Steele, violin, Ryan Meehan, violin, Samantha Bennett, violin, Mindy Park, cello
  • 2nd, Silver, Zeloso Quartet - Scot Moore and Janis Sakai, violins, Moira Bette, viola, Eliott Lee, cello 
The Academy Concerts

Concerts

The Academy presents four chamber music concerts each year. Piano trios, duos, string trios, quartets and quintets perform in Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston and in Bennett-Gordon Hall at the Ravinia Festival. Chamber groups often perform at high profile cultivation events, fund raisers and civic events in the Chicago area.

Here is a sampling of the repertoire performed over the past few years. 

Junior Academy Chamber Music Performances

  • Arriaga - String Quartet #1 in d minor, movement one
  • Beethoven - String Quartet opus 18, #4 - movement one
  • Dubosarschi, Boris - Piano Trio #1, movement one
  • Kodaly - Serenade for String Trio, movement one
  • Mozart
    • String Quartet in Bb Major, K. 172, movement three
    • String Quartet in C Major, K. 465, movement one
    • Sonata for Piano Four-Hands in D Major, K. 381 - first movement
    • Sonata for Violin and Piano in F Major, K. 376, first and second movements
  • Shostakovich
    • Piano Trio #2 in e minor, movement one
    • String Quartet #8 - movements two and three

Senior Academy Chamber Music Performances

  • Bartok
    • String Quartet #3, movement one
    • String Quartet #4, movement five
  • Beethoven
    • Piano Trio in Eb Major, opus 1, #1 - movement one
    • Piano Trio in c minor, opus 1, #3 - movement one
    • Piano Trio in D Major, opus 70, #1 ("Ghost"), movement one
    • Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major, opus 69, movement one
    • Sonata for Violin and Piano in F Major, opus 24 ("Spring") - movement one
  • Brahms
    • Hungarian Dance #1 in g minor (piano four hands)
    • Piano Trio #3 in C Major, opus 87, movement one
    • String Quartet in a minor, opus 51, #2 - movements one and four
  • Bridge, Frank - String Quartet #2 in g minor
  • Britten - String Quartet #2, opus 36, movement one
  • Dohnanyi - Piano Quintet #1 in c minor, opus 1 - movement three
  • Dvorak - Piano Quintet, movement one
    • Piano Trio in e minor ("Dumky"), movement four
    • String Trio, movement three
  • Franck - Sonata for Violin and Piano
  • Gardel, Carlos - String Quartet: Por una Cabeza
  • Garrop, Stacy - "Demons and Angels" String Quartet, movement three
  • Mendelssohn - String Quartet in A Major, opus 13, movement one
  • Piazzola
    • Four for Tango
    • Verano Porteno for piano trio
  • Prokofiev - String Quartet #2 in F Major, opus 92
  • Rachmaninoff
    • Suite #2 for Two Pianos, opus 17, movement one
    • Trio #1 in g minor, movement one
  • Ravel - String Quartet, movements one and four
  • Schoenfeld, Paul - Cafe Music, movements two and three
  • Schubert - String Quartet in a minor, second movement
  • Shostakovich
    • Piano Quintet in g minor, opus 57, movement three
    • String Quartet #1, movement one
    • String Quartet #3, movement three
    • String Quartet #7, movement one
  • Smetana
    • Piano Trio in g minor, movement one
    • String Quartet #1 in e minor ("From my Life"), movement one