The Dolphins Quartet

Tahoe Music Alive is delighted to present the Dolphins Quartet, a dynamic string quartet and composer collective dedicated to reimagining chamber music as a living, breathing art form for our time. Their appearance promises a concert filled with imagination, connection, and discovery—music that invites listeners not just to hear, but to feel part of a shared creative experience.

Formed at The Juilliard School and based in New York City, the Dolphins Quartet is driven by a shared mission: to unite spirits through musical interpretation, innovation, and improvisation. Their performances blend beloved works from the classical canon with underappreciated gems and original compositions, creating programs that feel both timeless and urgently contemporary. With an approach that is deeply personal and joyfully exploratory, the Dolphins strive to make chamber music vibrant, relevant, and inclusive.

The quartet has performed, taught, and collaborated across the United States, earning growing recognition for both their artistry and leadership. In Spring 2024, they were named finalists in the Concert Artists Guild Competition, and they have received significant support through grants from the Marks Center at Juilliard and the 2025 Salon de Virtuosi Career Advancement Grant. At Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Dolphins presented Juilliard premieres of string quartets by Mieczysław Weinberg and Heitor Villa-Lobos, affirming their commitment to expanding the chamber music repertoire.

Collaboration lies at the heart of the Dolphins’ identity. They work closely with living composers, including John Corigliano, Andy Akiho, and Jessie Montgomery, and began their own journey as composers in 2023. Their original works—including The Dolphin Miniatures, The Angel Fire Quartet, and Tales from the Great Lakes—reflect a collective voice shaped by improvisation, storytelling, and a deep sense of ensemble. In 2024, they made their orchestral solo debut performing John Adams’ Absolute Jest at David Geffen Hall, conducted by the composer with the Juilliard Orchestra.

The Dolphins are also passionate educators and arts advocates. They currently serve as the Arts Leadership Ensemble for Project: Music Heals Us, helping bring Juilliard’s composition curriculum to correctional facilities nationwide. Their outreach has taken them from classrooms and prisons in the U.S. to Nairobi, Kenya, where they taught through the Ghetto Classics program. In Spring 2025, they launched their own Young Composers Program, culminating in eleven world premieres by middle- and high-school–aged student composers.

Mentored by leading figures in chamber music, the Dolphins Quartet combines artistic excellence with warmth, curiosity, and a sense of play. This fall, they will release their debut album, Dolphins at Play, featuring their original compositions.

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Host or Publisher Tahoe Music Alive, Toiyabe Chamber Music & Tahoe Truckee School of Music