DaPonte Quartet appoints new violinist

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Following a search for a new violinist since January 2023, the Maine-based DaPonte Quartet has announced the appointment of Philipp Elssner. He succeeds Ferdinand ‘Dino’ Liva and will join existing members Lydia Forbes, violist Kirsten Monke and cellist Myles Jordan.

As a teenager, 24-year-old Elssner lived in North Carolina where he won the String Teacher’s Association competition in 2017 and was a finalist at the North Carolina Symphony Concerto Competition. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Jaime Laredo and Jan Sloman, and earned a master’s degree in music theory from McGill University in 2024, where he also studied violin with Jinjoo Cho.

Elssner states that he is looking forward to delving into the vast repertoire of string quartets and bringing engaging musical experiences to his home state of Maine.

’In bringing my own voice and perspectives to the group, I hope we can forge a unique and compelling quartet sound that does justice to the wonderful pieces of music we play,’ he said.

’I also plan to bring my varied musical interests to the group, so that we can premiere and create a space for new music and composers of diverse backgrounds. In doing so, I think we will be able to reach a broader and younger audience than ever before.’

Elssner will begin his role in June 2024 for the DaPonte Quartet’s String Quartet Institute, a week-long residency for pre-formed, aspiring string quartets. He will perform in his first concerts with the ensemble in July 2024.

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