St. Petersburg String Quartet, with Michael Tree, viola
Passionate Classics!
Sat., December 1, 2007 / 8:00 PM

"The St. Petersburg ensemble ....ranks among the best chamber groups on the current scene”  -  Baltimore Sun

                  "ST. PETERSBURG QUARTET PLAYS WITH ONE VOICE” - Los Angeles Times

"Five stars for performance and sound" -  BBC Music Magazine

Alla Aranovskaya, violin
Alla Krolevich, violin
Boris Vayner, viola
Leonid Shukayev, cello

One of the world's leading string quartets, the St. Petersburg was founded as the Leningrad Quartet by Alla Aranovskaya, Alla Krolevich (Goryainova) and Leonid Shukayev, all three graduates of the Leningrad Conservatory.

The Quartet blazed a trail through international chamber music competitions, winning First Prize at the All-Soviet Union String Quartet Competition, the Silver Medal and a Special Prize at the Tokyo International Competition of Chamber Ensembles, First Prize and both Special Prizes at the Vittorio Gui International Competition for Chamber Ensembles in Florence, Italy, and First Prize and the "Grand Prix Musica Viva" at the International Competition for Chamber Ensembles in Melbourne, Australia.

In 1988, the quartet's 2nd violinist Alla Krolevich emigrated to Israel, but rejoined them in October 2005. Violist Boris Vayner joined the Quartet in January of 2005.

When the city of Leningrad resumed its historic name, the quartet likewise changed its name to the St. Petersburg String Quartet. The SPSQ has continued its ascendancy, building a reputation of worldwide proportions including a Grammy nomination, "Best Record" honors in both Stereo Review and Gramophone Magazines, and the Chamber Music America/WQXR Prize for Best CD of 2001. The Quartet held the respected position of Quartet-in-Residence at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music from 1999 to 2003.

During the season 2005-2006, St. Petersburg Quartet celebrates its 20-year anniversary. In 2005 the Quartet performed in Great Britain (3 times), Germany, Mexico and many well-known festivals in the United States.

In 2006, the entire musical world celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the birth of Dmitri Shostakovich, and the St. Petersburg Quartet launches the year with a concert tour of Great Britain, Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland where they will perform 10 of the 15 Shostakovich's quartets.

Audiences from Toronto to Tokyo, from Lithuania to London and in concert halls across the United States have given the SPSQ standing ovations. No classical CD collection is complete without recordings by the acclaimed group. This season the Quartet will release new CDs of Dvorak and Mendelssohn quartets as well as the complete Tchaikovsky chamber music works.

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