Altius Quartet appoints new members Hannah Kennedy and Allyson Stibbards

Altius Quartet appoints new members Hannah Kennedy and Allyson Stibbards

Boulder, Colorado-The Altius Quartet announces the appointment of violinist, Hannah Kennedy, and violist, Allyson Stibbards replacing Joshua Ulrich and Andrew Krimm who have both chosen to pursue other interests.

Hannah Kennedy, a native of Minnesota, is known for her creativity, thoughtful interpretations, and commitment to collaborations. She has been a member of fellowship quartets at Madeline Island Chamber Music and UW-Eau Claire and enjoyed presenting a variety of chamber music concerts at University of Colorado-Boulder (CU). She has worked with members of the Takács, Juilliard, Brentano, American, Dover, Arianna, Pacifica, and St. Lawrence String Quartets, and recently shared the stage with cellist Andrés Díaz. Hannah is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma with Takács Quartet violinist Harumi Rhodes at CU-Boulder. She also has degrees from UW-Eau Claire (BM, ‘17) and CU-Boulder (MM, ‘20). She is thrilled to join Altius and begin working alongside Andrew, Allyson, and Erin.

Allyson began playing the violin at the age of five and viola at the age of ten. She has been a soloist with the University of Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Longmont Symphony Orchestra, and Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra. Allyson received her Bachelors of Music degree from the University of Colorado in 2018. She continued her studies at the New England Conservatory and received her Masters in Music Performance in the spring of 2020. Allyson has had the opportunity to study with incredible violists such as Geraldine Walther, Erika Eckert, Cathy Basrak, Stephen Wyrczynski, and Jeff Irvine. During her degrees, she had the opportunity to work with members of the Takács, Borromeo, and Cavani String Quartets. She has spent her summers at the Aspen Music Festival, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and Tanglewood. Playing in a string quartet has been a lifelong dream and launching this endeavor has been a welcomed challenge 

The Altius Quartet is dedicated to expanding traditional notions of the string quartet through inclusivity, versatility, and community engagement. Through the evolving art of chamber music, they facilitate relationships with diverse audiences and underserved communities. They perform and elevate music by living composers paired with the most celebrated string quartet repertoire in an accessible and welcoming atmosphere. The Altius Quartet enthusiastically supports the notion that education is the future of the artistic world; they seek to provide a platform for growth, learning, and creativity, whether in a classroom or performing on a concert stage.

In anticipation of the 10th Anniversary of the Altius Quartet, the group will work on special concerts and projects, including a “collage” concert to feature former members of the quartet as well as guests from the area. The group is also looking forward to special projects to serve communities in the Boulder/Denver area. In the past, Altius has put on various sensory-friendly concerts. In the coming seasons, they plan to continue offering sensory-friendly concerts as well as finding new ways to reach underserved communities.

Upcoming Performances

Sunday, September 20, 2020 at 6pm MST - Debut performance with Hannah Kennedy and Allyson Stibbards. The program will include works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Libby Larsen, and Bruce Babcock. Access the concert online through Facebook Live, Youtube, and Twitch.

Sunday, October 11, 2020 at 5:30pm MST - Altius Quartet at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder Colorado for an outdoor, socially distanced, LIVE concert! They will be playing works by Caroline Shaw, Dvorak, Mozart, Haydn, the Beatles. This will be the quartet’s first live concert since March.

The Altius Quartet is represented by Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates, greatlakespaa.org, 734.276.8558.

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