Miró Quartet
Daniel Ching, violin | William Fedkenheuer, violin | John Largess, viola | Joshua Gindele, cello
“Throughout, the Miró Quartet played with explosive vigor and technical finesse.”
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The Quartet recorded the complete Beethoven cycle in chronological order over 15 years which was released in 2020 and Gramophone called "sublime."
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The Miró Quartet has served as the Faculty Quartet in Residence at UT Austin's Butler School of Music since 2003 mentoring artists in the Young Professional String Quartet. Passionate about the future of chamber music, the Miró appears regularly at the Norfolk Music Festival and has given master classes at universities and conservatories throughout the world.
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The Miró works with some of the preeminent composers of our time including Pulitzer Prize-winners Caroline Shaw and Kevin Puts, as well as Tamar-kali, David Shiff, David Schikele, and more.
The Miró Quartet is one of America’s most celebrated string quartets, praised as "furiously committed" by The New Yorker and recognized for its "exceptional tonal focus and interpretive intensity" by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Marking its 30th anniversary in 2025, the GRAMMY®-nominated quartet has performed on the world’s most prestigious concert stages, earning accolades from critics and audiences alike. Based in Austin, TX, and thriving on the area’s storied music scene, the quartet takes pride in finding new ways to communicate with audiences of all backgrounds while cultivating the longstanding tradition of chamber music. Since 2003, Miró has served as the quartet-in-residence at the University of Texas at Austin Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music.
Miró Quartet’s current and recent projects include a touring and recording project with pianist Lara Downes titled Here on Earth, featuring musical depictions of our planet, its evolution, and the lives of its inhabitants; the premiere of a new version of Kevin Puts’ Credo with the Naples Philharmonic; and collaborations with composers Steven Banks, Tamar-Kali, and Gabriel Kahane; as well as soprano Karen Slack and the Isadore Quartet. During the 2025-2026 season, the quartet’s engagements include a 30th anniversary appearance at Oberlin College, where the group was formed, as well as performances at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, Austin Chamber Music Festival, and more.
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The Miró Quartet’s newest album, a recording of Ginastera’s complete String Quartets released on PENTATONE in July 2025, was lauded by Gramophone as “the most technically polished accounts yet of these extraordinary works … a stunning achievement.” Among its many previous recordings for a variety of global labels, the quartet was nominated for a 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for its album Home (PENTATONE, 2024), featuring two new commissions by Kevin Puts and Caroline Shaw, as well as works by George Walker and Samuel Barber. The group was nominated for a 2024 GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance for House of Belonging, created in collaboration with Austin-based choral group Conspirare. They recently produced an Emmy Award–winning audiovisual multimedia project titled Transcendence, a documentary centered around a performance of Franz Schubert’s Quartet in G Major on rare Stradivarius instruments, available on livestream, CD, and Blu-ray.
Formed in 1995, the Miró Quartet has been awarded first prize at several national and international competitions including the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Naumburg Chamber Music Competition. Deeply committed to music education, members of the quartet have given masterclasses at universities and conservatories throughout the world. In 2005, the quartet became the first ensemble ever to be awarded the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant.
The Miró Quartet took its name and inspiration from the Spanish artist Joan Miró, whose Surrealist works – with subject matter drawn from the realm of memory, dreams, and imaginative fantasy – are some of the most groundbreaking, influential, and admired of the 20th century. Visit miroquartet.com for more information.
August 2025 – Please do not edit without permission.
Videos
Programs & Repertoire
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PROGRAM I – AMERICAN ALBUM: VOICES OF HOME
Samuel Barber: Quartet No. 1 in B minor
George Walker: “Lyric for Strings”
Caroline Shaw: “Microfictions [Vol. 1]” (2021), commissioned for the Miró Quartet
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Kevin Puts: “Home” (2019), commissioned for the Miró Quartet
American Songbook Suite: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, “Fascinating Rhythm”, “Over the Rainbow”PROGRAM IIA – GINASTERA QUARTETS
Alberto Ginastera: Quartet No. 1, Op. 20
Alberto Ginastera: Quartet No. 3, Op. 40 with Kiera Duffy, soprano
*****
Alberto Ginastera: Quartet No. 2, Op. 26PROGRAM IIB – HAYDN, GINASTERA, & DEBUSSY
Joseph Haydn: Quartet in D major, Op. 71, No. 2
Alberto Ginastera: Quartet No. 1, Op. 20 -OR- Ginastera: Quartet No. 2, Op. 26
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Claude Debussy: Quartet in G minor, Op. 10PROGRAM III (FALL 2025)
The Miró Quartet Holiday Program! A festive evening of original arrangements of 12 of our favorite living composers’ favorite Holiday Tunes…with other holiday favorites arranged for string quartet. Composers include Clarice Assad, Alex Berko, Michael Begay, Anna Clyne, Reena Esmail, Jake Heggie, Hyung-ki Joo, Gabriel Kahane, Joel Love, Paola Prestini, Kevin Puts, Jeff Scott, Derrick Skye, and Michi Wiancko.PROGRAM IV (SPRING 2026) – TWO TITANS AT TWO HUNDRED
Franz Schubert: Quartet in G major, D. 887 (June 1826)
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Ludwig van Beethoven: Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130, with the “Grosse Fuge” finale from Op. 133 (March 1826)
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Ludwig van Beethoven: Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 (1826)COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMS
PROGRAM I – AMERICAN QUINTETS
with Masumi Per Rostad, viola
Nokuthula Ngwenyama: Viola Quintet, “Primal Message”
Michael Begay: New commission
Andrea Casarrubios: “Anthem”, new commission
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Antonín Dvořák: Viola Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 97 “American”PROGRAM II -MUSICAL MYSTICS
A program of music for Saxophone and String Quartet
with Steven Banks and the Miró QuartetHildegarde of Bingen: O Virtus Sapientiae
Caroline Shaw: Other Song, And So
Ludwig van Beethoven: Heiliger Dankgesang from String Quartet in A minor, Op. 132
Steven Banks: Come What May
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Osvaldo Golijov: The Dreams and Prayers of Issac the Blind“My current obsession as an artist is in exploring the concepts of timelessness and ultimate truths like interconnectedness. The act of creating this piece will be a meditation on the concepts explored by the other works on this program; wisdom, the passage of time, faith, communion, transience, and others that I am sure to find along the way. The set of songs at the beginning of the program allows the saxophone to explore its vocal abilities. Golijov’s Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind draws influence from Klezmer music. The Yiddish word klezmer derives from two Hebrew roots: klei (“vessel” or “instrument”) and zemer (“song”). In my piece, the saxophone and its string counterparts will sing. There may be references to the spiritual songs of my youth, and perhaps from the singing styles of the other composers on the program, among other possibilities.”
-Steven Banks, composer“What’s old is new is ever ever told…”
-Other Song, Caroline ShawPROGRAM III (SPRING 2026)
Collaborative Program with soprano Karen Slack, featuring a new commission by Tamar-kali based on texts from the women of the Harlem Renaissance, along with works for quartet and voice by Margaret Bonds, William Grant Still, and Florence Price.Samuel Barber: String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11 [I. Molto allegro e appassionato]
William Grant Still: Songs of Separation (arr. Largess)
Tamar-kali: New Work
Barber: Quartet in B minor, Op. 11 [II. Molto adagio; III. Molto allegro]
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George Walker: Lyric for Strings
Florence Price: Quartet No. 2 in A Minor [III. Juba. Allegro]
Margaret Bonds: Creek-Freedman SongsPROGRAM IV - “SINGING THE BIG BAND BLUES”
A program of music for Baritone and String Quartet with Joseph Parrish and the Miró QuartetRising star baritone Joseph Parrish and the Miró Quartet explore the sound and swing of the Big Band Era in new arrangements for strings and voice by composer Christopher Armstrong. The program is inspired by Benny Goodman’s many and various vocal collaborators such as Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Mildred Bailey and Ella Fitzgerald. Songs include “Begins the Beguine”, “I cried for you”, “A night in Tunisia” among others.
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Program I – Two Titans at 200
Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D887
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Beethoven: Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130, with Grosse Fuge, Op. 133Program II – Vienna 200
Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 12 in C minor, D. 703, “Quartettsatz” -OR- Anton Webern: Langsamer Satz for String Quartet
Alban Berg: Lyric Suite for String Quartet
*****
Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 15 in G major, D887Program III – Home
Kevin Puts: Home for String Quartet
Samuel Barber: String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11 -OR- Alberto Ginastera: Quartet No. 1, Op. 20
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Antonín Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, "American"
Jay Ungar: Ashokan Farewell (arr. William Fedkenheuer)
Evin T. Rouse: Orange Blossom Special (arr. William Fedkenheuer)Program IV - Mirrored Sound
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat major, Op. 18, No. 6, IV. La Malinconia. Adagio
Caroline Shaw: Blueprint
Movement selections from: Henri Dutilleux “Ainsi la Nuit” (1976)
Movement selections from: George Crumb “Black Angels” (1970)
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Alberto Ginastera: Quartet No. 2, Op. 26Holiday Program 2026
Home & Hearth
Kevin Puts: Home for String Quartet
Samuel Barber: String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11
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Holiday set (30-minutes)** Selections from beloved classical and holiday favorites, reimagined in vibrant new arrangements by a who’s who of today’s leading composers including Kevin Puts, Clarice Assad, Gabriel Kahane, Derrick Skye, Paola Prestini, Anna Clyne, Jeff Scott, and more.
One-Act Programs
75-minute interactive programs with commentary - successful in concert halls, community, and fundraising settings.Program I
Hugo Wolf: Italian Serenade
George Walker: Lyric for Strings
Joseph Haydn: String Quartet No. 2 in D major, Op. 71 (complete or selections)
Samuel Barber: String Quartet in B minor, Op. 11, “Adagio”
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95 (complete or selections)
Kevin Puts: “Home,” Opening Movement
Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10, III. Andantino, doucement expressif & IV. En animant peu à peu – Très mouvementé et avec passionProgram II
Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 12 in C minor, D. 703, “Quartettsatz”
Caroline Shaw: Microfictions vol. 1
Joseph Haydn: Quartet TBD (complete or selections)
Maurice Ravel: String Quartet in F Major, II. Assez vif, très rythmé
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 2 in E minor, Op. 59, IV. Finale. PrestoCollaborative & Upcoming Commission Programs
New Commission from Clarice Assad
A new commission in development by esteemed composer Clarice Assad for string quartet, more information coming soon.Stings and Saxophone with Steven Banks
A powerful and wide-ranging program for saxophone and string quartet with Steven Banks and the Miró Quartet, featuring Banks’ original work Come What May alongside music by Hildegard of Bingen, Caroline Shaw, Beethoven, and Osvaldo Golijov.Stings and Soprano with Karen Slack
This program features a new 15-minute work by acclaimed composer Tamar-kali, inspired by the poetry of Harlem Renaissance women, performed by soprano Karen Slack and the Miró Quartet, alongside works by Barber, Margaret Bonds, Florence Price, George Walker, William Grant Still, and Stephen Taylor.
Projects
