NEC Honors Ensemble: Alira String Quartet

Artist(s)

Darwin Chang '25, violin
Caroline Smoak '25, violin
Joy Hsieh '25 GD, viola
Jonah Kernis '25, cello


Formed in September 2024 at the New England Conservatory of Music, the Alira String Quartet (Arabic origin name, meaning unique and honest) is currently coached by Professor Paul Katz. The Alira Quartet is a winner of the Chamber Music Honors Ensemble Award at NEC, and will be performing a full recital in Jordan Hall on April 12th, 2025. 

The quartet has participated in the Classical Music Institute’s String Quartet Fellowship, where they received coachings with the Escher String Quartet and concluded with a performance of the Ravel String Quartet at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas, on January 11th, 2025

Most recently, the Alira Quartet performed Mendelssohn’s String Octet alongside the Borromeo String Quartet in Jordan Hall on January 21st, 2025, after being named winners of the BSQ Guest Artist Award at NEC.

From collaborating on composer concert series to bringing music to diverse communities through NEC’s Community Partnership Program, the Alira String Quartet embodies a profound commitment to connection, expression, and the boundless possibilities of the string quartet experience. Not only do they want to perform string quartets around the world, they also want to bring quartet music to underserved communities and share with them the love that they have for chamber music.