Carya String Quartet Announces New Cellist
After a successful first season, the Carya String Quartet welcomes Sonya Matoussova to the ensemble.
Sonya Matoussova will replace outgoing cellist Ed Harper
First season reached over 400 audience members and over 300 students
Second season will open in October of 2019
Houston, Texas– After a successful first season, the Carya String Quartet is excited to welcome Russian-Canadian cellist Sonya Matoussova to the ensemble. The inaugural season contained thirteen concerts and several educational programs, reaching over 400 audiences members and over 300 individual students. The quartet owes a deep gratitude to outgoing cellist, Ed Harper, who is stepping down in order to focus on his new family. While Harper’s enthusiasm and energy were integral to helping launch the quartet, the Carya Quartet believes that Matoussova’s consummate musicianship and passion for chamber music will be a perfect fit for their continued growth.
“I began playing in my first string quartet at the age of 9,” says Matoussova. “As the years went by, the members of the group changed, but the quartet survived into my college years at the University of Montreal. Since moving to Houston in 2012, I have been privileged to take part in many exciting collaborations with a great number of talented musicians in this city, but I have truly missed playing in a steady group. Rehearsing and performing for the past few weeks with Carya has reawakened my passion for quartet playing and has inspired me in my personal growth as a musician. I am incredibly grateful to my friends and colleagues, Laura, Eugeniu, and Rainey, for welcoming me into their quartet family, and I am very excited to embark on this journey with them as the Carya String Quartet enters its second season.” Planning for the second season, which will open in October of 2019, is well underway. Repertoire will include quartets by Mozart, Shostakovich, Glazunov, Stravinsky, Ichmouratov, Daniel Bernard Roumain, and more. The Carya String Quartet is also pleased to announce a partnership with Young Audiences of Houston to present two new educational performances: “Musical Seasons,” which explores how composers use nature and culture to inspire their music, and “Inspiration: Black Classical Composers,” which explores the contributions of Black American classical composers. Once announced, more information about the upcoming season can be found on the events page.