For over a decade the Marian Anderson String Quartet has brought inspiration and hope to every segment of American society, with performance venues ranging from the concert stage to the soup kitchens; from presidential inaugurals to juvenile correctional facilities. The Marian Anderson String Quartet continues to uphold its mission: To create new and diverseaudiences for the field of chamber music.
On September 30, 1989, the members of the Marian Anderson String Quartet, then known as the Chaminade Quartet, came together, unaware that they would soon change history. It was in 1991, however, that the Quartet won the International Cleveland Quartet Competition, becoming the first African American ensemble, in history, to ever win a classical music competition. To highlight this singular achievement the members of the quartet asked permission of the great contralto, Marian Anderson, to use her name as their own. Miss Anderson responded with heartfelt approval and in a memorable show of gratitude, the Chaminade Quartet, newly named the Marian Anderson String Quartet, played for its legendary namesake and her nephew, conductor James DePriest. (click here to go to their website and to the rest of their bio)
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