Michael Shih and Patricia Sunwoo, violins

Ori Kam, viola

Kristina Reiko Cooper, cello

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The Whitman Quartet  was named the winner of the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award. Formerly known as the Magellen String Quartet, they played to critical acclaim throughout the United States and Japan.

Since their Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall in 1995, the quartet appeared across the country at such venues as Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Bard Music Festival, Ravinia Festival in Chicago, Princeton University's Richardson Hall, Aspen Music Festival and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. In 1998 the group was invited to perform Schoenberg's Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra with the San Francisco Ballet. The quartet has been featured on Japan's NHK television network and 60 Minutes (CBS), and is heard regularly on National Public Radio as well as New York's classical radio stations WQXR and WNYC.

The Whitman Quartet recorded works of Michael Whalen for Arabesque and Artur Schnabel's First String Quartet for Musical Observations. In 2000 they performed by invitation at the Spoleto Music Festival USA.

The ensemble were strong advocates of the performance of new music as well as the classical quartet literature. They served as the resident quartet of New York's contemporary music ensemble Sequitur, frequently collaborating with numerous composers, working with multi media technology, and performed many premieres across the country. In 1998 the Quartet performed George Crumb's Black Angels as part of the composer's 70th birthday celebration in New York City.

The Whitman Quartet served as Juilliard's Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence, where they assisted the Juilliard String Quartet teaching student ensembles and conducting seminars in string quartet literature. In addition, in conjunction with the Midori Foundation, the Quartet helped to introduce elementary school children in New York's five boroughs to classical music.

The Whitman Quartet played its final concert in 2002.

Naumburg Concert

Whitman Quartet, 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award

Michael Shih and Patricia Sunwoo, violins; Ori Kam, viola and Kristina Reiko Cooper, cello

March 8, 2000, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, New York, NY

Verdi: String Quartet in E minor

John Corigliano: String Quartet

Ravel: String Quartet in F Major

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