La Catrina String Quartet
Hailed by Yo Yo Ma as wonderful ambassadors for music, the La Catrina String Quartet is one of
the most sought after ensembles on tour today. Their unique blend of Latin-American and
standard repertoire has proved enormously entertaining for its diverse audiences, catering to the
more traditional concertgoers while still attracting the next generation of listeners. Their infectious
personalities infuse their playing, creating truly compelling performances. The La Catrina Quartet
has a triple mission: to perform the masterworks of the string quartet repertoire, to promote
Mexican and Latin American art music worldwide and to work closely with composers in order to
promote the performance of new music.
Currently Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at New Mexico State University, the La Catrina Quartet
tours regularly throughout the US and Mexico, and has received important awards and
recognitions, such as Western Michigan University’s All University Research and Creative Scholar
Award, the Bascom Little Fund Grant (www.bascomlittle.org) and the North Carolina Arts
Council cARTwheels 2009 and 2010 touring program. They have also premiered works by
composers Thomas Janson and John Ferrito at the Kent Blossom Music Festival and Zae Munn at
the Chicago College of Performing Arts.
Currently Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at New Mexico State University, the La Catrina Quartet
tours regularly throughout the US and Mexico, and has received important awards and
recognitions, including their participation in the highly competitive Association of Performing
Arts Presenters’ Young Performers Career Advancement program in New York City, which
concluded with a showcase performance of “next generation’s classical music star performers” in
Carnegie Hall and a two year residence with the Western Piedmont Symphony in North Carolina.
The La Catrina Quartet was also in residence at the Chamber Music Festival of San Miguel de
Allende, Mexico, where they collaborated with the Cyprus, the Brentano, and the Miami Quartets,
as well as the Poulenc Trio.
Last season they were featured in concert series throughout the US, including a concert in New
York for Merkin Hall’s “Tomorrow’s Stars Today,” a Seattle performance for the University of
Washington’s prestigious World Series, and several summer residencies in New Mexico.
This season’s highlights include the world premiere of Roberto Sierra’s String Quartet No. 2,
commissioned by Symphony Space for the La Catrina Quartet, to be performed in May 2011 for
the “Wall to Wall Sonidos” Latin-American New Music Festival and performances for concert
series in Ohio, Kentucky, California, New York State, New Mexico, Texas, and Oaxaca, México.
