
Parker Quartet
Daniel Chong, violin | Ken Hamao, violin | Jessica Bodner, viola | Kee-Hyun Kim, cello
“fiercely committed performances”
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They bring fresh energy to the core repertoire while illuminating the emotional power of today’s music. Their programs feel alive—bridging centuries and creating conversations between the familiar and the new.
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Through this full-time role, they lead a vibrant chamber music program, mentor undergraduate ensembles, and present performances that connect the university and surrounding community. Their educational work extends beyond Harvard, with visiting residencies at the University of South Carolina and Walnut Hill School for the Arts.
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In their own words:
The Parker Quartet was founded on the strength of friendship and a shared dedication to the art of chamber music. Although we officially came together as undergraduates at the New England Conservatory in 2002, the ensemble’s roots were planted earlier—at summer festivals where we played together in various configurations. These festivals, with their immersive, focused environments, became formative spaces: places where time seemed to pause, and where the combination of music, camaraderie, and rigorous exploration brought us together. That spirit of connection and curiosity remains a guiding force in our work today.Our time as students was rich with discovery, shaped by exceptional mentorship. Whether at NEC, in international summer programs, or during our training with ProQuartet in France, we were fortunate to learn from artists who exemplified both musical excellence and a profound commitment to the string quartet tradition. Influences from members of the Cleveland, Takács, Juilliard, Tokyo, Hagen, Alban Berg, and Artemis Quartets—as well as from renowned pedagogues like Kim Kashkashian and Lucy Chapman—have left a lasting imprint on our playing and teaching. Their example informs our work with the next generation of musicians in our roles at Harvard University, the University of South Carolina, the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and beyond.
In the early years of our career, following our win at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, we embarked on extensive international touring. Performances throughout Europe, and later in Asia and South America, exposed us to a wide range of musical traditions, acoustic environments, and cultural perspectives. These experiences deeply shaped our interpretive approach, refining not only our sound but also our awareness of spatial and interpersonal dynamics in performance.
Our commitment to adventurous repertoire led us to record the complete string quartets of György Ligeti in 2009—a project that challenged us artistically and expanded our ensemble's expressive range. Though we undertook the recording with no expectation of recognition, the album ultimately received the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance, affirming our belief in the value of risk-taking and deep artistic inquiry.
Now in our third decade as a quartet, we continue to develop programs and collaborations that are intellectually engaging, emotionally resonant, and artistically vital. Alongside the milestones of our personal lives—marriages, children, and continued individual growth—the quartet has remained our artistic home: a space of ongoing dialogue, refinement, and renewal.
To us, a musical home is defined by trust, shaped by legacy, and sustained by a shared commitment to discovery. That ethos continues to inspire our work, both onstage and off.
Internationally recognized for their “fearless, yet probingly beautiful” performances (The Strad), the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet has established itself as one of the preeminent ensembles of its generation since its founding in 2002. Renowned for their fresh interpretations of canonical works and their passionate advocacy for contemporary music, the Quartet continues to chart a dynamic artistic path rooted in both tradition and innovation.
Praised by Gramophone for playing in which “virtuosity and emotion are one,” the Parker Quartet has performed for over two decades on many of the world’s leading stages. Recent seasons have included appearances at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the University of Chicago, the 92nd Street Y, and Da Camera of Houston, among others. The Quartet has also been featured at major festivals such as Tanglewood, Big Ears, Norfolk, Lake Champlain, Bridgehampton, Skaneateles, San Miguel de Allende, and the Banff Centre.
In the 2025–26 season, the Quartet launches The Schubert Project—a deep exploration of Franz Schubert’s final chamber works, including his late string quartets and the Cello Quintet. This project aims to contextualize Schubert’s late style through multidisciplinary lenses and performance collaborations. Upcoming quintet engagements include performances with Jay Campbell at the Crypt Sessions in New York City, with Paul Watkins at Harvard and Yale Universities, and with Raman Ramakrishnan at DACAMERA of Houston. Other season highlights include a multi-island concert tour of Hawaii and renewed collaborations with mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron.
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Bold programming and cross-disciplinary initiatives are hallmarks of the Quartet’s artistic identity. In 2024, they curated a program centered on nature and heritage, combining music with poetry by Arthur Sze and Victoria Chang, and featuring a new commission by Anthony Cheung for quartet and mezzo-soprano. During their 20th anniversary season (2022–23), the Parker Quartet launched The Beethoven Project, a multifaceted initiative including: performances of the complete Beethoven string quartets; commissioned encores from six contemporary composers; the development of a digital video library highlighting each work; and community-centered performances in non-traditional venues across Boston, including homeless shelters and youth programs.
Deeply committed to the music of our time, the Quartet has commissioned and premiered works by Augusta Read Thomas, Felipe Lara, Jaehyuck Choi, Zosha Di Castri, Paul Wiancko, Anthony Cheung, Wang Lu, Michi Wiancko, Sky Macklay, and Jeremy Gill. As part of Miller Theatre’s Mission: Commission podcast, they recorded new works by Kate Soper, Oscar Bettison, and Vijay Iyer—celebrating the creative process and contemporary collaboration.
Their artistic partnerships span a wide range of disciplines and genres. Past collaborators include pianists Menahem Pressler, Anne-Marie McDermott, Orion Weiss, Shai Wosner, Billy Childs, and Vijay Iyer; clarinetists and composers Jörg Widmann, Anthony McGill, and Charles Neidich; flutist Claire Chase; and violist Kim Kashkashian. The Quartet is also a proud supporter of Kashkashian’s Music for Food initiative, performing in concerts nationwide to benefit food banks and social service organizations.
Recording remains a central component of the Quartet’s artistic output. Their 2021 ECM release, featuring Dvořák’s Viola Quintet with Kim Kashkashian alongside works by György Kurtág, was described by The Strad as “nothing short of astonishing,” and by Gramophone as “defined by virtuosity so agile that it’s indistinguishable from the process of emotional expression.” Their 2019 recording of three Beethoven quartets (Monte Carlo’s Festival Printemps des Arts) earned accolades from Diapason for its “fearlessness, exceptional control, and attention to detail.” Additional recordings include Mendelssohn on Nimbus Records, Bartók on Zig-Zag Territoires, and the complete Ligeti Quartets on Naxos—a performance that garnered the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.
The Parker Quartet currently serves as Professors of the Practice and Blodgett Artists-in-Residence at the Department of Music at Harvard University. They also hold visiting residencies at the University of South Carolina and the Walnut Hill School for the Arts.
Founded and based in Boston, the Quartet’s numerous honors include winning the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Grand Prix and Mozart Prize at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, and Chamber Music America’s prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award.
June 2025 - Please do not edit without permission
Videos
Programs & Repertoire
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PROGRAM I
Alexander von Zemlinsky: String Quartet No. 1 in A major, Op. 4
Thomas Adès: The Four Quarters for String Quartet
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Johannes Brahms: String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major, Op. 67PROGRAM II
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartet in D minor, K. 421
Jaehyuck Choi: With Winds II for String Quartet (2021)
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Alban Berg: Lyric SuitePROGRAM III
Helmut Lachemann: String Quartet No. 3 “Grido”
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Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131PARKER QUARTET + FLEUR BARRON
Johannes Brahms: Im Herbst from Fünf Gesänge, Op. 104
John Luther Adams: The Wind in High Places
Anthony Cheung: New Work [PCMS Co-Commission]
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Gustav Mahler: Der Einsame im Herbst from Das Lied von der Erde (arr. Cheung)
Brahms: String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major, Op. 67 -
PROGRAM I – SCHUBERT THE CLASSICIST
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet in B-flat major, K. 589
Valentin Silvestrov: String Quartet No. 3
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Franz Schubert: Quartet in A minor, D. 804, "Rosamunde"PROGRAM II – SCHUBERT THE LYRICIST
Franz Schubert: Quartettsatz in C minor, D. 703
Work TBA
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Franz Schubert: String Quartet in D minor, D. 810, "Death and the Maiden"PROGRAM III – SCHUBERT THE MINIMALIST
Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 5
John Adams: Fellow Traveler
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Arvo Pärt: Summa
Franz Schubert: String Quartet in G major, D. 887 -
Complete List of Works Offered:
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18
Johannes Brahms: String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major, Op. 67
Benjamin Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26
Harry Partch: Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales
Sergey Prokofiev: String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op. 50
Robert Schumann: String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 41
Gabriella Smith: Carrot Revolution
*Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
Special collaboration with Charles Neidich, clarinetExample Programs:
Program I – California Vibes
Gabriella Smith: Carrot Revolution
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26
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Harry Partch: Two Studies on Ancient Greek Scales
Benjamin Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25Program II
Gabriella Smith: Carrot Revolution
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26
*****
Robert Schumann: String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 41Program III
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 5 in A major, Op. 18
Sergey Prokofiev: String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op. 50
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Benjamin Britten: String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 25