Orange Road Quartet Joins the College of Performing Arts as Cuker and Stern Graduate String Quartet in Residence
The Cuker and Stern Graduate String Quartet in Residence at Mannes School of Music offers a leading pre-professional or professional string quartet a two-year residency and the invaluable experience of being mentored by the Mannes string quartet-in-residence, JACK Quartet.
Recently, the Orange Road Quartet was named the newest Cuker and Stern Graduate String Quartet in Residence, where they will have unique performance opportunities, including appearances at the Mannes Sounds Festival; workshops and readings of new works by Composition faculty and students; masterclasses at Mannes Prep; collaborations with the Mannes Orchestra, Mannes American Composers Ensemble, and Mannes Opera; as well as performances at special events.
“We are all so excited to have the Orange Road Quartet at Mannes for the next two years,” said Richard Kessler, Executive Dean of the College of Performing Arts and Dean of Mannes School of Music. “On the heels of the Kodak Quartet and the Bergamot Quartet before them, the Orange Quartet is surely going to continue the extremely high level of string chamber music that we have come to expect from the Cuker and Stern graduate Quartets in Residence.”
Orange Road began as The New Sounds Quartet in residence at the University of South Carolina in 2021, where they have enjoyed the mentorship of Ari Streisfeld, co-founding member of the JACK quartet. The current members are Miguel Calleja and Holly Workman, violins, Nicky Moore on viola, and Jordan Bartow on cello. Orange Road’s members enjoy robust and varied careers as International soloists, interdisciplinary artists, and hold multiple chairs in regional orchestras. Orange Road is especially honored to join The New School, where they will be mentored by the current members of the JACK quartet, carrying on the seed of inspiration that began with their cherished mentor, Ari.
Dedicated to the performance of new works and modern classics, Orange Road creates unique listener-centered musical experiences for curious audiences. The programs they develop in collaboration with composers connect art and audiences beyond the traditional elite-dominated concert hall, and leave people from all backgrounds with a transformative experience. In recent years, Orange Road has been featured twice as an ensemble in residence at The Cortona Sessions for New Music, bringing cutting edge programs of premieres and modern masterpieces from Xenakis to John Luther Adams to audiences in Italy and the Netherlands.
“The Orange Road Quartet is honored and excited to begin our residency at Mannes,” said Jordan Bartow. “We look forward to learning from the incredible JACK Quartet, as well as meeting new collaborators and building musical relationships here in the New York community. We view new music as the future, the ‘orange road’ on the horizon, and we are thrilled to continue on that road and share our vision here at The New School and beyond.
Orange Road is currently in the midst of their 2024-2025 concert season, which has included performances in New York City and Europe, with more on the horizon at The Southern Exposure Series at the University of South Carolina and residencies at the University of Florida and University of California, Davis, with more than 15 premieres to take place over the next few months.
| Launched in 2020, the Cuker and Stern Graduate String Quartet is made possible by the generous support of the Cuker and Stern Scholarship Fund, honoring the legacy of Harold B. and Ruth (Cuker) Stern. |