Violin

Eric Pritchard has been serving as First Violinist of the Ciompi Quartet of Duke University since 1995. His previous appointments as First Violinist of the Alexander and Oxford String Quartets included positions at City University of New York, San Francisco State University, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and Miami University. A native of Durham, New Hampshire, he studied at the New England Conservatory, the Indiana University School of Music and the Juilliard School where he received a Master of Music in 1985. His principal teachers were Josef Gingold, Ivan Galamian, Eric Rosenblith and Giorgio Ciompi.

Pritchard was awarded First Prizes at the London International String Quartet Competition and at the Coleman and Fischoff national chamber music competitions. He was also the winner of the National Federation of Music Clubs Award in violin in 1981.

Violin

Hsiao-mei Ku has won merit as a soloist, chamber musician and teacher in the US and her native China. She performed widely in China where she gave her first live performance on National TV when she was 11 years old, and later won the Government Award of Best Performance.

At Indiana University in this country, she received her Master of Music degree with distinction, and was awarded the Performer’s Certificate by the School of Music, where she studied and worked with Franco Gulli, Rostislav Dubinsky, Gary Hoffman and Janos Starker.

Viola

Jonathan Bagg is Professor of the Practice at Duke University. His career with the Ciompi Quartet includes hundreds of concerts across the U.S. and around the world, as well as dozens of recordings. He is founding Artistic Director of Electric Earth Concerts in New Hampshire, and he directed the Monadnock Music festival from 2007-2011.

As an Artistic Director, his programming has included many collaborations with composers, authors, poets, and choreographers resulting in a number of unique multi-media works.

Cello

Caroline Stinson leads a diverse musical life as a chamber musician, soloist and recitalist of repertoire old and new, and has appeared at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall, the Gardner Museum, and Smithsonian; the Koelner Philharmonie, Lucerne Festival and Cité de la Musique in Europe; and the Centennial Centre in Canada. She has premiered dozens of works, including significant additions to the repertoire from William Bolcom, John Harbison, Paul Moravec, Steven Stucky, and Andrew Waggoner, many during her nine-year tenure with the Lark Quartet. She performed
Esa-Pekka Salonen’s solo work YTA III at the composer’s recommendation at Scandinavia House and (le) Poisson Rouge in New York, and performed Elliott Carter’s Triple Duo on two continents with Pierre Boulez.

Her solo CD, Lines – European Lineages in American Music, is on Albany Records, and she appears on close to twenty chamber music recordings on Albany, Naxos, Koch, and Bridge.

Baritone

Robert Sims is an acclaimed lyric baritone renowned for his rich, resonant voice and captivating stage presence. Recognized internationally for his artistry, Sims has earned particular praise for his interpretations of African American spirituals and concert repertoire. He has graced prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and major concert halls across Europe, Asia, and North America.

Sims has collaborated with prominent orchestras and conductors, as well as a variety of chamber ensembles, always bringing a distinctive warmth and clarity to his performances. Of special note is his ongoing project The Majesty of the Spiritual which he performs in conjunction with some of the most celebrated black vocalists of our time.

In addition to his solo work, Sims is an ardent promoter of American song and the spiritual tradition, frequently appearing in recitals and educational programs that celebrate this vital musical heritage. His commitment to outreach and mentorship has inspired emerging artists and fostered a greater appreciation for this repertoire worldwide. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, Northwestern University, and SUNY Binghamton, Sims boasts a diverse musical education that underpins his versatile career.