Classical Music News

Carpe Diem String Quartet Appoints New Violinist

September 14, 2023

2 MIN READ

Violinist Sam Weiser will step into the role effective immediately

Comprised of Marisa Ishikawa, Korine Fujiwara, Ariana Nelson, the Carpe Diem String Quartet (CDSQ) was founded in 2005 and specializes in innovative programming.

Violinist Sam Weiser recently been named the ensemble's first violin, having previously held a position in the award-winning Del Sol Quartet. He is presently the Assistant Concertmaster of the California Symphony.

A graduate of Tufts University, New England Conservatory, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, he has studied with Ian Swensen, Lucy Chapman, James Buswell, and Patinka Kopec.

A champion of contemporary music, Weiser has given the premiere performances of more than 150 new works, by composers such as Vijay Iyer, Huang Ruo, and Chen Yi.

The quartet’s 2023-2024 season, “Forward in all directions” begins November 4 and 5, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. This season features works by Paul Wianko, Emilie Mayer, Joaquín Turina, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Arensky, Ravel, and Dohnanyi. Carpe Diem will also present world premieres by Akshaya Avril Tucker, Reza Vali, Mark Lomax II, and Paul Frucht as part of their “15 for 15” commissioning project.

The CDSQ frequently augments the classical string quartet tradition with Romani, tango, folk, pop, rock, and jazz-inspired music. The group has recorded the complete cycle of the nine string quartets of Sergei Taneyev for Naxos, as well as the complete string quartets of Jonathan Leshnoff.

“During our thoughtful search over the last eight months, we auditioned and interviewed some wonderful and exciting candidates," said Korine Fujiwara, who is the quartet's Executive Director as well as its violist. "However, we knew immediately that we had found our new partner in Sam."

"He has an adventurous and multilingual musical spirit and his warm and compelling personality both onstage and off engages everyone around him and draws them into the magical musical storytelling world created on the stage. We are thrilled that Sam has joined us in this new chapter of the quartet’s journey."