Carpe Diem String Quartet Appoints Two New Members

Columbus, OH – Carpe Diem String Quartet announces the appointment of two new members, Marisa Ishikawa (violin) and Gregory Sauer (cello).

One of the most unique and sought-after chamber ensembles on the concert stage today, the Carpe Diem String Quartet was founded in 2005 by members of the Columbus Symphony, and has gone on to become a boundary-breaking, award winning ensemble that has earned widespread critical and audience acclaim for its innovative programming and electrifying performances. With programming that reflects its passions for Gypsy, tango, folk, pop, rock, and jazz-inspired music alongside the traditional string quartet repertoire, Carpe Diem has defied easy classification while quickly becoming one of America’s premier “indie” string quartets. Recently, Carpe Diem’s recording of the music of Jeff Midkiff won Gold Medal at the Global Music Awards.

Marisa Ishikawa is currently a Teaching Assistant at the University of Colorado Boulder, having received a Bachelor of Music from the College of Music under the instruction of Charles Wetherbee as well as a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from CU Leeds School of Business. She went on to earn her Masters in Music with Brian Lewis at the University of Texas Austin. She has worked with artists such as Rachel Barton Pine, Glenn Dicterow, Ani Kavafian, as well as the Takács String Quartet and the Miró String Quartet. She is the co-founder of the classical chamber music festival Austin Camerata, which enriches communities new to classical music by offering primarily free and collaborative concerts in unconventional venues.

Praised for his versatility, cellist Gregory Sauer has appeared in recital at the Old First Concert Series in San Francisco, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, and the Brightmusic Concert Series in Oklahoma City, among many others throughout the U.S. Gregory has performed concertos with orchestras such as the Houston Symphony, the Columbus (GA) Symphony, and the Missoula Symphony, among many others. As a member of Trio Solis, he performed in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Sauer holds the positions of principal cello of the Tallahassee Symphony and assistant principal of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. A committed teacher and mentor, Greg was appointed to the music faculty at Florida State University in 2006. Along with his brother, pianist Thomas Sauer, Greg is co-Artistic Director of Chamber Music Quad Cities.

With its new members, Carpe Diem recently embarked on a week long tour, which included performances at Carnegie Hall, Kerrytown Concert Hall in Ann Arbor, the Columbus Museum of Art, and Stroede Arts Center in Defiance, OH. In addition to these performances, the quartet performed numerous outreach engagements and masterclasses. In the coming months, the quartet will perform in numerous venues around the world: Jorden Hall (Boston, MA), the Columbus Museum of Art (Columbus, OH), Williams Theater (Tulsa, OK), and Accademia Chigiana (Siena, Italy).

Carpe Diem String Quartet is represented by Great Lakes Performing Artist Associates

For more information, visit greatlakespaa.org or contact glpaaoffice@greatlakespaa.org

Carpe Diem String Quartet