About Us

Adopting a daring approach to music entertainment, the Boston String Quartet is a high-energy ensemble with an unconventional emphasis on rhythm and beats. Since its formation in 2004, the Quartet has been a creative leader in fusing contemporary music with classical tradition, and the Boston Globe credits them with continually "exploring different ways of sparking musical interest." The members of the Quartet specialize in retelling modern music with original arrangements of rock, jazz, and world music, and have redefined the twenty-first century classical musician with a complete approach to artistry through composition/arrangement, storytelling, theatrics, and performing.

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In addition to its solo work as an ensemble, the Quartet has demonstrated its longstanding commitment to music education through the establishment of mentoring relationships with dozens of secondary schools and colleges throughout the country. To this end, the Quartet has developed three highly sought-after outreach programs and residencies; The Xibus Tour, The Ethno-Urban Orchestra, and The Xibus World Orchestra, through which the ensemble teaches contemporary music techniques and improvisation to music strudents around the country. Collaborative public performances featuring the Quartet and the student musicians feature compositions and arrangements commissioned for the unique combination of string quartet and orchestra.

To date, the Boston String Quartet has released five albums; most recently “WorldSong” a new release from Groove Records. Boston String Quartet Recordings may be purchased world-wide from Naxos.

Members

Violinist, Christopher Vuk

Chris received his B.M. Suma Cum Laude on scholarship from Berklee College of Music. He is also an alumnus of the University of Northern Iowa and Longy School of Music. Described by the Boston Ballet as an “Electrifying violinist,” Christopher made his New York debut at Weil Recital, Carnegie Hall, and has performed with distinguished artists such as Gloria Estefan, Bill Cosby, and Jennifer Holliday as well as a special appearance with Sesame Street. “Vuk explore[s] different ways of sparking musical interest,” says Boston Globe, in doing so, he has played for varied audiences including Queen Rainia of Jordan, Queen Noor, Mitt Romney, and First Lady, Laura Bush. Christopher is a member of the Red Bull Artsehcro, which performed the world premiere of Raul Yanez’s “Concerto for Turntable” in Issac Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall.

He has toured with internationally acclaimed recording artist/composer Tim Janis, and EMI recording artists Giorgia Fumanti and Ryland Angel, and is also a founding member of the International Musician’s Assembly and the Roads to You Tour in collaboration with concert pianist, Zade Dirani Christopher is the founder/music director of the Boston String Quartet, a contemporary classical ensemble. Christopher has collaborated on several albums for former Scorpions member Robin McAuley, Jamey Haddad, Dave Fiuczynski, Noel, Nelson Navaratte, Jean Hilbert, the Boston String Quartet, and his own solo album. Christopher currently records with MMC Recordings. He is the recipient of the Certificate of Congressional Commendation. Christopher is currently the Director of School of Groove.

Violinist, Angel Valchinov

Angel is at the forefront of the violin world. He performs with orchestras in the US and Europe, and serves as a concertmaster of several orchestras in the Boston area. Mr. Valchinov has been invited to be on the faculty of Bismarck State College and University of Mary (North Dakota), and to be conductor of Bismarck Youth Symphony. Bulgarian National TV has made a documentary about him, and he has also been featured on a number of television stations across the US. In addition, Dr. Valchinov is the Director of Operations of the annual International Music Competition at Boston University. His teachers include Aaron Rosand, Naoko Tanaka (The Juilliard School), and Yuri Mazurkevitch (long-time pupil of David Oistrakh).

In May of 2008, Mr. Valchinov performed all six of H. W. Ernst’s Polyphonic Etudes - a rare feat. In March of 2009 he performed the Dvorak Concerto at Jordan Hall in Boston, with the Boston Civic Symphony, earning praise from the conductor, “His Dvorak Concerto is incredibly beautiful, one of a kind”.

Violist, Chen Lin

Born in Taiwan, Chen Lin has gained versatile reputation playing diverse stylesof music, from Classical, Jazz, Tango, to Contemporary. Ms. Lin appears as soloist, chamber and orchestra musician at numerous venues, including recent performances in Taiwan, Japan and the USA.

Ms. Lin has won awards at several competitions. She received the First Prize at Taipei Music Competition in 2003, the Fourth Prize at Taiwan Music Competition in 2004 and the Second Prize at Taipei Municipal University of Education’s Concerto Competition. A winner of the American String Teachers Association State-Level Competition (for Massachusetts State, 2006), Ms. Lin also won the Viola Prize at Boston University’s Bach Competition in 2008. Joining the Boston String Quartet in 2005, Ms. Lin is frequently invited to play in numerous chamber music concerts in Boston area and has collaborated with Peter Zazofsky (first violinist of the Muir Quartet) and Marc Johnson (former cellist of the Vermeer Quartet).

As an orchestra musician, Ms. Lin received engagements with Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Lexington Symphony Orchestra, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, among others, and has been Principal Violist of Neponset Philharmonic Orchestra and of Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra. A founding violist of the Boston Chamber Orchestra, with the group, Ms. Lin was invited by Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, to premiere and record Marcel Tyberg’s String Sextet at Mary Scaton Room, Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo in 2009.

Ms. Lin is currently pursuing her Doctoral of Musical Arts Degree in Viola Performance at Boston University, where she is a full scholarship student under the tutorledge of Professor Michelle LaCourse, Chair of the String Department. She serves as Teaching Assistant of the String Department and of Professor LaCourse, and as String Chamber Music Assistant. Ms. Lin received her Bachelor’s degree in Music and Education from Taipei Municipal University of Education (Taiwan), and Master’s degree as a full scholarship student from The Boston Conservatory. Her previous teachers include Lee-Weng Wang, Teizo Yoshinaga and Roger Tapping

Cellist, Christina Stripling

Christina Stripling's performances have taken her through top concert halls across the world, such as; Carnegie Hall, The National Auditorium in Madrid, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, and Nation Center for Performing Arts in Bejing. Her playing has been heard on live National Public Radio and has been televised in Europe and China.

A multifaceted and vibrant cellist, Christina captivates audiences with her musical charisma and newfangled programming.

Recently named as an Ambassador for Peace from the Fundation Cultural de Praz in Santiago Spain, Christina believes that music has the power to break down boundaries between people. Her diverse interest in music has led her through many unique musical environments. She has performed as the cellist for the premiere production of Monkey: Journey to the West in the United States, as the cellist for the Nightingale String Quartet, as the principal cellist of The World Orchestra. She has participated in many high regarded music festivals around the world including; The Aspen Music Festival, The Spoleto Music Festival, The Aurora Chamber Music Festival (Trollhättan, Sweden), and The Music Without Borders Festival (Teplice, Czech Republic). Christina has also collaborated with a variety of artists including: Bunita Marcus, Garrison Kellior, The Sun Palace, and The Orion String Quartet.

Christina graduated with a Master's of Music degree from The Jacob School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana. Through the years, her musical studies have been guided by many well known performers and teachers, including; Miles Hoffman, Janos Starker, John SantʼAmbrogio,Csaba Onczay, and Robert Hatten.

	BSQ » Concerts & Performances » Members
	About Us Adopting a daring approach to music entertainment, the Boston String Quartet is a high-energy ensemble with an unconventional emphasis on rhythm and beats. Since its formation in 2004, the Quartet has been a creative leader in fusing contemporary music with classical tradition, and the Boston Globe credits them with continually "exploring different ways of sparking musical interest." The members of the Quartet specialize in retelling modern music with original arrangements of rock, jazz, and world music, and have redefined the twenty-first century classical musician with a complete approach to artistry through composition/arrangement, storytelling, theatrics, and performing. ------------ In addition to its solo work as an ensemble, the Quartet has demonstrated its longstanding commitment to music education through the establishment of mentoring relationships with dozens of secondary schools and colleges throughout the country. To this end, the Quartet has developed three highly sought-after outreach programs and residencies; The Xibus Tour, The Ethno-Urban Orchestra, and The Xibus World Orchestra, through which the ensemble teaches contemporary music techniques and improvisation to music strudents around the country. Collaborative public performances featuring the Quartet and the student musicians feature compositions and arrangements commissioned for the unique combination of string quartet and orchestra. To date, the Boston String Quartet has released five albums; most recently “WorldSong” a new release from Groove Records. Boston String Quartet Recordings may be purchased world-wide from Naxos. Members Violinist, Christopher Vuk Chris received his B.M. Suma Cum Laude on scholarship from Berklee College of Music. He is also an alumnus of the University of Northern Iowa and Longy School of Music. Described by the Boston Ballet as an “Electrifying violinist,” Christopher made his New York debut at Weil Recital, Carnegie Hall, and has performed with distinguished artists such as Gloria Estefan, Bill Cosby, and Jennifer Holliday as well as a special appearance with Sesame Street. “Vuk explore[s] different ways of sparking musical interest,” says Boston Globe, in doing so, he has played for varied audiences including Queen Rainia of Jordan, Queen Noor, Mitt Romney, and First Lady, Laura Bush. Christopher is a member of the Red Bull Artsehcro, which performed the world premiere of Raul Yanez’s “Concerto for Turntable” in Issac Stern Auditorium, Carnegie Hall. He has toured with internationally acclaimed recording artist/composer Tim Janis, and EMI recording artists Giorgia Fumanti and Ryland Angel, and is also a founding member of the International Musician’s Assembly and the Roads to You Tour in collaboration with concert pianist, Zade Dirani Christopher is the founder/music director of the Boston String Quartet, a contemporary classical ensemble. Christopher has collaborated on several albums for former Scorpions member Robin McAuley, Jamey Haddad, Dave Fiuczynski, Noel, Nelson Navaratte, Jean Hilbert, the Boston String Quartet, and his own solo album. Christopher currently records with MMC Recordings. He is the recipient of the Certificate of Congressional Commendation. Christopher is currently the Director of School of Groove. Violinist, Angel Valchinov Angel is at the forefront of the violin world. He performs with orchestras in the US and Europe, and serves as a concertmaster of several orchestras in the Boston area. Mr. Valchinov has been invited to be on the faculty of Bismarck State College and University of Mary (North Dakota), and to be conductor of Bismarck Youth Symphony. Bulgarian National TV has made a documentary about him, and he has also been featured on a number of television stations across the US. In addition, Dr. Valchinov is the Director of Operations of the annual International Music Competition at Boston University. His teachers include Aaron Rosand, Naoko Tanaka (The Juilliard School), and Yuri Mazurkevitch (long-time pupil of David Oistrakh). In May of 2008, Mr. Valchinov performed all six of H. W. Ernst’s Polyphonic Etudes - a rare feat. In March of 2009 he performed the Dvorak Concerto at Jordan Hall in Boston, with the Boston Civic Symphony, earning praise from the conductor, “His Dvorak Concerto is incredibly beautiful, one of a kind”. Violist, Chen Lin Born in Taiwan, Chen Lin has gained versatile reputation playing diverse stylesof music, from Classical, Jazz, Tango, to Contemporary. Ms. Lin appears as soloist, chamber and orchestra musician at numerous venues, including recent performances in Taiwan, Japan and the USA. Ms. Lin has won awards at several competitions. She received the First Prize at Taipei Music Competition in 2003, the Fourth Prize at Taiwan Music Competition in 2004 and the Second Prize at Taipei Municipal University of Education’s Concerto Competition. A winner of the American String Teachers Association State-Level Competition (for Massachusetts State, 2006), Ms. Lin also won the Viola Prize at Boston University’s Bach Competition in 2008. Joining the Boston String Quartet in 2005, Ms. Lin is frequently invited to play in numerous chamber music concerts in Boston area and has collaborated with Peter Zazofsky (first violinist of the Muir Quartet) and Marc Johnson (former cellist of the Vermeer Quartet). As an orchestra musician, Ms. Lin received engagements with Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Lexington Symphony Orchestra, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, among others, and has been Principal Violist of Neponset Philharmonic Orchestra and of Cape Ann Symphony Orchestra. A founding violist of the Boston Chamber Orchestra, with the group, Ms. Lin was invited by Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, to premiere and record Marcel Tyberg’s String Sextet at Mary Scaton Room, Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo in 2009. Ms. Lin is currently pursuing her Doctoral of Musical Arts Degree in Viola Performance at Boston University, where she is a full scholarship student under the tutorledge of Professor Michelle LaCourse, Chair of the String Department. She serves as Teaching Assistant of the String Department and of Professor LaCourse, and as String Chamber Music Assistant. Ms. Lin received her Bachelor’s degree in Music and Education from Taipei Municipal University of Education (Taiwan), and Master’s degree as a full scholarship student from The Boston Conservatory. Her previous teachers include Lee-Weng Wang, Teizo Yoshinaga and Roger Tapping Cellist, Christina Stripling Christina Stripling's performances have taken her through top concert halls across the world, such as; Carnegie Hall, The National Auditorium in Madrid, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, and Nation Center for Performing Arts in Bejing. Her playing has been heard on live National Public Radio and has been televised in Europe and China. A multifaceted and vibrant cellist, Christina captivates audiences with her musical charisma and newfangled programming. Recently named as an Ambassador for Peace from the Fundation Cultural de Praz in Santiago Spain, Christina believes that music has the power to break down boundaries between people. Her diverse interest in music has led her through many unique musical environments. She has performed as the cellist for the premiere production of Monkey: Journey to the West in the United States, as the cellist for the Nightingale String Quartet, as the principal cellist of The World Orchestra. She has participated in many high regarded music festivals around the world including; The Aspen Music Festival, The Spoleto Music Festival, The Aurora Chamber Music Festival (Trollhättan, Sweden), and The Music Without Borders Festival (Teplice, Czech Republic). Christina has also collaborated with a variety of artists including: Bunita Marcus, Garrison Kellior, The Sun Palace, and The Orion String Quartet. Christina graduated with a Master's of Music degree from The Jacob School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana. Through the years, her musical studies have been guided by many well known performers and teachers, including; Miles Hoffman, Janos Starker, John SantʼAmbrogio,Csaba Onczay, and Robert Hatten. HOME MEMBERS STORE CONCERTS EDUCATION PRESS KIT REPERTOIRE CONTACT Contents ©2010 Boston String Quartet. For information please contact the webmaster. Validated XHTML 1.0 transitional.