One of the nation’s leading string quartets, the Cypress String Quartet, is ready to hang up its bows. After a 20-year career, during which they were hailed by the New York Times as “tender and deeply expressive,” the ensemble played their farewell concert this past June--but they weren’t quite finished. In January 2017, the ensemble gave their fans a final gift: one last album.
Founded in 1996, the ensemble consists of violinists and Interlochen alumni Cecily Ward (IAA 85-88, IAC/NMC 82-85) and Tom Stone (IAC/NMC 79-83), as well as violist Ethan Filner and cellist Jennifer Kloetzel. The quartet has produced 15 albums and is aired daily on hundreds of radio stations across the country and around the world. Their music can also be heard on the Netflix original series House of Cards.
The ensemble’s longtime friends and collaborators, cellist Zuill Bailey (IAC/NMC 87-88) and violist Barry Shiffman, joined the group for Brahms: String Sextets, a recording of both of Johannes Brahms’s popular string sextets. The music was recorded live at the famed Skywalker Sound studios. This final album serves as the culmination of a 20-year legacy of outstanding musicianship, innovative collaboration and educational outreach.
