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Thomastik-Infeld Vienna, "Vision Solo" violin strings.
For more information please go to
http://www.connollyandco.com or www.Thomastik-Infeld.com

Outstanding Classical Ensemble/Artist Nominee:
California String Quartet

L. A. Weekly Annual Music Awards 2004

For this year's edition of our annual Music Awards, to be held at the Music Box Henry Fonda Theater on June 24, the artists were selected in a poll of 30 local music writers asked to single out the best Los Angeles - based musicians. Our nominees were chosen on the basis of quality, regardless of commercial success and with un eye toward emerging artists we feel deserve praise and recognition for their outstanding performances. Each nominee was chosen for high achievement in music this year or for the great music they've given Los Angeles over the years. As usual the abundance of superb musicians in Los Angeles made it a hard job to narrow the field down so we congratulate all the nominees as they are already winners.


- John Payne

 

Katia Popov - First Violin
Lorand Lokuszta - Second violin
Alma Fernandez - Viola
Armen Ksajikian - Cello


          The California String Quartet is one of the most dynamic and exciting chamber music ensembles in the United States. Formed in Los Angeles in 2002 by some of the most successful musicians in the area, the quartet performs regularly throughout Southern California, both in recital and on radio. They have been featured at such chamber music series and venues as the Lagerstrom Chamber Music, Chamber Music at the Grystone Mansion, Chamber Music at the Zipper Hall, the Trinity Lutheran Chamber Music Series in Manhattan Beach, at the LACMA’s Sundays Live, on the K-Mozart classical radio and at the Musical Sunday Afternoons at the Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church which is hosted by the quartet.
          The members of the CSQ come from different parts of the globe and bring their unique experience, individualities and cultural diversity always to surprise their audiences with a twist of the unexpected. The four share their passionate love of music and especially of contemporary artists. Their association with the talented young Bulgarian composer, Penka Kouneva, lead to numerous successful performances and the recording of her First String Quartet (read more about Ms. Kouneva at www.CaliforniaStringQuartet.com). The group has commissioned the composer to start working on her Second String Quartet.
          To have the opportunity to play chamber music more extensively the members of the quartet decided to organize their own chamber music series in Beverly Hills — the Musical Sunday Afternoons (MSA). The first violinist of the quartet, Katia Popov, serves as the Music Director and advisor for the series. The MSA have been a great forum for many of the finest chamber musicians, with whom the members of the California String Quartet have performed on many occasions throughout the Southern California area and the United States. The series have become a wonderful asset to the musical life in the City of Beverly Hills and in Los Angeles and their organizers are determined to keep all the chamber music concerts Free to the public. The concerts are warm and personal and everybody feels connected to the music as audience and performer become one. The series are unique because they give the opportunity for the artists to have a complete freedom of choosing their programs and groups and the chance to share once again their exceptional talents and musicianship with their audiences. The programs include Chamber, Jazz, Orchestral and Choral music performed by award winning and renowned musicians from Southern California and from around the world. The series are held at the Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church and showcase its historic facility and the amazingly warm and resonating acoustics.
          The California String Quartet has accomplished great success after their Debut concert in January of 2002, which also launched the MSA, and the enthusiastic audiences have exclaimed and have demanded more appearances from the busy artists in the local area. Also, for more up-to-date information on the CSQ upcoming concerts tune to K-Mozart, 105.1 for the program “Back Stage with the California String Quartet”.

The exciting news this season are that the Quartet is launching new chamber music series in Studio City. They decided to expend the series they had in Beverly Hills after popular demand by the audience coming from this side of town. The new home of the series is First Christian Church on Moorpark and Colfax. The welcoming enthusiasm with which they embraced the idea for the series is very promising for the success the quartet is expecting. Please check the schedule of the concerts on their "Events" page.