The university’s resident quartet has been sacked in order to save the faculty $275,000 a year
The music department of Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, has expressed dissatisfaction as contracts have not been renewed for its resident ensemble, the Lydian Quartet. The decision comes as a result of budget cuts made by the university.
According to The Justice, the university’s independent student newspaper, the members of the Lydian Quartet were given 24 hours notice on 30 September of a Zoom meeting with provost Carol A. Fierke and senior assistant provost Joel Christensen, where they were informed their contracts would not be renewed after the current academic year.
‘We are shocked and saddened by this decision, which will have a devastating impact on the arts culture of Brandeis and the quality of arts education for students,’ the quartet stated.
At a meeting held on 18 October by the Brandeis faculty, it was revealed that the university had suffered a drop in enrollment numbers following the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as a drop in the US News and World Report university rankings, from its peak position of 35 down to 63rd place. The university had also noticed a decline in applications from international students.
Dean of arts and sciences Jeffrey Shoulson said that while the faculty was reluctant, they decided not to renew the Lydian Quartet’s contracts in order to save around $275,000 a year.
Head of the music department prof. Yu-Hui Chang questioned the reasoning behind the decision, expressing anger that a quarter of her current faculty would be gone next year: ‘[I feel] like this administration has greatly underestimated the value of the music department and what the department has done for Brandeis,’ she said.
The Lydian Quartet was founded in 1980 and comprises violinists Julia Glenn and Clara Lyon, violist Mark Berger and cellist Joshua Gordon, with Lyon having recently commenced her role in September 2024. The quartet has historical links to Brandeis University since its founding, as it studied with former Juilliard Quartet member and Brandeis University faculty member Robert Koff during its formative years.
The quartet expressed that it had embraced its role as artistic ambassadors of Brandeis through its international performances, 30 studio albums, masterclasses and outreach projects, as well as its aim to make Brandeis a cultural destination through its concert series on campus.
‘The Lydian Quartet is a cultural jewel for Brandeis, a unique partnership that sets our university apart from other institutions,’ said the quartet. ‘This decision to end the legacy of the Lydian Quartet is a huge blow to the culture and history of Brandeis, and will have devastating ramifications for the music department, whose rich history stretches back to the beginning when Leonard Bernstein and Irving Fine were faculty members.’
‘We hope the greater Brandeis community of students, faculty, alumni, award recipients, donors, and other friends and supporters will call upon the Brandeis administration to reverse this short-sighted decision,’ concluded the quartet.
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