“The gifted Voxare String Quartet” (The New York Times) formed in 2008 and has since received critical praise for its inventive programming, technical prowess, attention to detail, and passionate performances.  As one of the most acclaimed and innovative young string quartets in the United States, The New York Times declared that Voxare plays “with such penetrating tone and lucid textures,” and has on numerous occasions chosen Voxare as its Classical Pick of the Week. Voxare’s performances have included appearances at Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic, the Guggenheim Museum, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center. Voxare has had performing residences at Dartmouth College and Columbia University, among others; additionally, the quartet has been the prestigious quartet-in-residence at New York’s Bargemusic. Voxare has been featured live on Soundcheck WNYC and its concerts broadcast on WQXR. Voxare frequently appears on TV, and was featured on National Geographic's hit show, Brain Games, and on Good Morning America. At its residency series, DIG IT! New Music, at Teachers College, Columbia University, Voxare performs works by living composers, bringing together a community of America’s leading composers, both emerging and established.  Voxare’s unique performing activities earned the quartet Chamber Music America’s ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Voxare's recording of Paul Moravec's shakuhachi quintet on Naxos was selected as WQXR's album of the week. A recording cycle of Mark Nowakowski's string quartets, on Naxos, has received rave reviews in Gramophone and other outlets.  

Voxare = vocks-ARE-eh   

In addition to performing standard repertoire, Voxare takes responsibility in presenting and encouraging interest in contemporary music, and often works with leading composers such as Pulitzer Prize winning composers Ned Rorem and David Del Tredici. Voxare was the Quartet-in-Residence at the International Computer Music Conference and continues working with composers and researchers in studying electro-acoustic music.  Voxare presented a three day Mostly Riley Festival to celebrate the 75th birthday of composer Terry Riley at Bargemusic. About the Riley Festival, the New York Times wrote, “The personable and passionate Voxare players ...offered a spirited, high-energy performance, vividly conveying the work’s beautiful colors. The performance was excellent, with distinctive contributions from each player."

With a repertoire spanning five centuries, Voxare is not afraid to break down the boundaries of classical music; they have made and performed their own transcriptions of popular and rock music and often perform in alternative concert venues, presenting innovative concerts focused on unique and accessible presentations of contemporary chamber music while assimilating classical standards and popular music. Voxare can be found on the soundtracks of several films shown at festivals such as Sundance and Tribeca.

In addition to being top prizewinner at the Yellow Springs Competition, Voxare was accepted to study quartet repertoire with Robert Mann, founder of the Juilliard String Quartet, at the inaugural prestigious Mann Quartet Institute.  Voxare has studied quartet literature with members of the Juilliard String Quartet through its exclusive String Quartet Seminar, and has also studied with members of the Kronos Quartet through Carnegie Hall.

Individually, Voxare members have performed as soloist with orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and orchestrally with the Cleveland Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic. The four musicians have amassed a number of prizes at international competitions. 

What Does "Voxare" Mean?

We are often asked what “Voxare” means.  Voxare is our own creation, an imagined Latin infinitive of the root word vox, which can be translated as the following: voice, cry, call; accent, language; sound, tone; a saying, utterance. When choosing a name for our quartet, we felt an immediate attraction to it; we felt (and still do feel) a strong need to be different, to have a personal voice that stands out among other artists. To voice, to call, to utter- these are the aspirations of any artist. Our medium, sound, perhaps better than any other allows creator to commune directly with recipient. Schopenhauer espoused that music, due in part to its freedom from the strictures of language, is the only art form that can directly speak to the “will.” As artists, we were thrilled to find a name that embodies not only our goal of singularity, but also the potential communicative power at our disposal.