A warm, rich sound is the hallmark of the Artaria String Quartet.  Named after the Italian publishers of the first issues of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven quartets, Artaria’s refined and thoughtful playing has brought them critical acclaim in Europe and throughout the United States. The Boston Globe describes Artaria as “exquisitely balanced and sonorous” and that “their musical understanding was first-rate”.   Formed in Boston, Artaria was mentored by members of the Budapest, La Salle, Kolisch, Juilliard, and Cleveland Quartets, serving as artists-in-residence at Boston University's Tanglewood Institute, performing at Festival de L’Epau in France, and at the final rounds of the 1992 Banff International String Quartet Competition. They have been featured live on national television, the CBC, NPR, MPR, and WGBH public radio and at prestigious chamber music venues including the New School Series in New York City, Dame Myra Hess in Chicago, Jacobs Pillow in Philadelphia, Library of Congress in Washington D.C., and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.  In 2001, Artaria became Minnesota's quartet-in-residence, winning the prestigious McKnight Fellowship for performing musicians, serving as MPR's artists-in-residence, and being featured as Minnesota originals on Twin Cities Public Television MN-Original series. The quartet’s performances are recorded on Centaur Records and Aequebis Recordings.   Recipients of the inaugural Rural Residency Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts which took them to Tifton, GA for nine months, Artaria has been awarded multi-year residency grants from Chamber Music America, Midori's Partners in Performance, the Heartland Fund, and the Minnesota State Arts Board for their initiatives in underserved communities. Artaria inspires audiences and individuals through chamber music performances and education, mentors students as they express themselves in a multifaceted artistic landscape and gives voice to important compositions of all past and living composers.   The members of Artaria are widely recognized for their passionate teaching style and dedication to their students. They are founders and directors of the Artaria Chamber Music School in Saint Paul, MN a year-round chamber music coaching program for young string players, the Stringwood Chamber Music Festival at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center for two weeks each August, and the Adult Retreat every last weekend in September. Their Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, an annual national event, showcases America’s finest high school and college string quartets many of whom are now members of their own professional ensembles.   Firmly rooted in the great traditions of the chamber music masterpieces, the Artaria String Quartet is a staunch advocate of contemporary music, premiering a wide array of new works and numerous commissions. Artaria is committed to mentoring all students who make up North America's rich artistic landscape and to creating opportunities for all to thrive today and always.