The Matisse String Quartet, founded as the Carnegie Mellon Honors Quartet, plays an essential role in the life of the Carnegie Mellon School of Music and in community outreach. As cultural ambassadors, the Matisse Quartet represents Carnegie Mellon’s School of Music through a variety of performance opportunities. They were invited to play along side the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as part of their Children’s Concerts at Heinz Hall and to Qatar to take part in Carnegie Mellon Qatar’s 10th Anniversary celebrations. In addition, the quartet performed a recital as part of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Music Series in Greensburg, on live TV as a part of WQED Pittsburgh’s 40th Anniversary Celebration, and collaborated with Dr. Robert Page on Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.
Coached by faculty members David Harding and Noah Bendix-Balgley, members of this quartet went through a rigorous audition process and were selected by the string faculty and distinguished guest Joseph Silverstein. The Mattise String Quartet consists of members Erica Richardson and Christopher Scherer, violin; Si Yu, viola; and Marlene Ballena, cello.
