Nicholas Kitchen, violin
Kristopher Tong, violin
Melissa Reardon, viola
Yeesun Kim, cello
Considered "simply the best there is" by The Boston Globe, the Borromeo String Quartet is one of the most sought-after string quartets in the world, each season performing more than one hundred concerts of classical and contemporary literature across three continents. Audiences and critics alike have championed the Borromeo Quartet's revealing explorations of the complete quartet cycles of Beethoven, Brahms, and Bartok, and its affinity for making challenging repertoire approachable.
The quartet performs in the world’s most illustrious concert halls and music festivals, and serves as the faculty quartet-in-residence at the New England Conservatory, the Taos School of Music, and the Heifetz Institute, where first violinist Nicholas Kitchen serves as artistic director.
In 2003, the Borromeo String Quartet made classical music history with its pioneering record label, the "Living Archive Recorded Performance Series," making it possible to order DVDs and CDs of most of the group's concerts around the world. The series promotes the importance and impact of the live performance, and allows listeners the chance to explore in greater depth the music they have just heard in concert, as well as experience new and rarely performed works.
In 2006 the Aaron Copland House honored the Borromeo's commitment to contemporary music by creating the Borromeo Quartet Award, an annual initiative that will premiere the work of important young composers to audiences internationally. In 2000 the quartet completed two seasons as a member of Lincoln Center's Chamber Music Society Two. On NPR, the BSQ served as Ensemble-in-Residence for the 1998-1999 season of "Performance Today”, and was recently featured on “Tiny Desk” in a broadcast celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday.
The Borromeo Quartet have received many awards throughout their illustrious career, including Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Career Grant and Martin E. Segal Award, and Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award. They were winners of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and of top prizes at the International String Quartet Competition in Evian, France.
Violist Mai Motobuchi, member of the Quartet for 22 years, retired from performing in July 2022, and was replaced by NEC alumna Melissa Reardon ’02 MM, ’03 GD.
Artist Diploma, NEC, for the original quartet, which included current quartet members Nicholas Kitchen and Yeesun Kim.