Artaria String Quartet

Ray Shows, Violin

Nancy Oliveros, Violin

Annalee Wolf, Viola

Laura Sewell, Cello

Cellist Laura Sewell founded the award-winning Lark Quartet in 1984 and was its cellist for five years, performing over 80 concerts a year in most of America’s major cities, as well as in Europe and the Far East. During her tenure in the group, the quartet was a top prize winner in the Banff International String Quartet Competition, was quartet-in-residence at San Diego State University and served as teaching assistants to the Juilliard String Quartet at the Juilliard School. Since leaving the group and returning to the Twin Cities, Ms. Sewell has played as a substitute cellist with the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, she appears regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota and performs in a duo with jazz pianist Butch Thompson, with whom she has recorded a cello and piano CD. She has been on the faculties of the MacPhail Center for the Arts, Augsburg College and the Madeline Island Music Camp, and currently serves as the Chair of Chamber Music America, the national service organization for chamber musicians. Ms. Sewell received her training at the Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and her teachers have included Leonard Rose and Jacqueline duPre.