Yale University

he Alianza String Quartet (Sarita Kwok and Lauren Basney, violins; Ah-Young Sung, viola; Dmitri Atapine, cello) was officially formed at Yale University School of Music in 2004, but has played together in various capacities for over three years. Composed of members from USA, Australia, Korea, and Russia/Spain, the ensemble is currently in residence as post-graduate associates of the Yale School of Music. They are coached and mentored at the School by the Tokyo String Quartet. The quartet made their debut at the Aldeburgh Festival, UK, the French Academy in Rome (Villa Medici, Rome) and the Aix-en-Provence Festival, France. While at these festivals the quartet were given the opportunity to work closely with composers Michael Jarrell and Jerome Combier, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard and members of the Berlin Philharmonic and Mahler Chamber Orchestra. The quartet also has extensive performance experience on the US East Coast with performances at Merkin Concert Hall, Kaufmann Auditorium 92nd St. Y in NYC, Juillia