Juilliard String Quartet Appoints New Second Violinist

Violinist Leonard Fu will step into the role

The Juilliard String Quartet has announced that Leonard Fu has been appointed as the ensemble's new second violinist. Fu joins current members Areta Zhulla (violin), Molly Carr (viola), and Astrid Schween (cello) — and he succeeds Ron Copes, who has been a member of the group for 28 years and given hundreds of concerts all over the world.

Fu grew up in Germany, where his teachers were Lara Lev and Tanja Becker-Bender. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Donald Weilerstein, and pursued further study at The Juilliard School with Weilerstein and Catherine Cho. He has also spent additional time working with Antje Weithaas at the Kronberg Academy.

He has established an especially broad career, serving as soloist, chamber musician, concertmaster, pedagogue, and composer. Fu's performance work has taken him to Europe, North America, and Asia, where he has appeared in venues such as the Elbphilharmonie, Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Concertgebouw, Alice Tully Hall, and Jordan Hall. 

He has collaborated with a number of pre-eminent chamber musicians, such as Mitsuko Uchida, Kim Kashkashian, Janine Jansen, Jörg Widmann, Laurence Lesser, Jens Peter Maintz, Hsin-Yun Huang, Natasha Brofsky, and the Kuss Quartet.

"The Juilliard String Quartet has profoundly shaped my musical journey — from my precollege studies in Germany with Tanja Becker-Bender, who often spoke of her time studying with JSQ founder Robert Mann and shared the quartet’s values, to learning from Ron Copes, Roger Tapping, and Joel Krosnick in the U.S.," said Fu.

"It’s an incredible honor to carry forward their legacy. The quartet’s dedication to the full range of string repertoire deeply resonates with me, and I am truly grateful and thrilled to embark on this journey with Areta, Molly, and Astrid!"

"As we mark the close of Ron Copes’ extraordinary 28-year tenure with the Juilliard String Quartet, we offer our deepest gratitude for his immense contributions to the JSQ and the broader world of chamber music," the quartet said. "Ron’s intellectual rigor, passionate artistry, and unwavering devotion to mentorship have left an indelible legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come. We all offer him our warmest wishes for joy and fulfillment in his next chapter."

"At the same time, we are thrilled to welcome violinist Leonard Fu. A passionate musician with an uncommonly rich understanding of the chamber music literature, Leonard brings his brilliant gift for collaboration and infectious creative energy to this new configuration of the Juilliard String Quartet. As we look ahead to the future of the JSQ, we are delighted to welcome him!"