Lydian Quartet Appoints New Violinist

Violinist Clara Lyon will take up the position, succeeding Andrea Segar,

The Boston-based Lydian Quartet has welcomed violinist Clara Lyon to the group. The other quartet members are violinist Julia Glenn, violist Mark Berger, and cellist Joshua Gordon. 

Lyon will succeed violinist Andrea Segar, who has played with the quartet since 2016 and will be moving to Colorado to serve as Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Colorado College of Music.

Currently the co-artistic director of Decoda, Carnegie Hall’s only Affiliate Ensemble, Lyon is also on faculty at the Greenwood Music Festival. 

She has been featured as an improvising soloist with the San Francisco Symphony and frequently performs with duo partner Hannah Collins in collaboration with composers such as Evan Premo, Mazz Swift, Yaz Lancaster, and Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir.

From 2014 to 2023, Lyon was a violinist and Director of Programs for the Chicago-based Spektral Quartet. During her tenure, the group commissioned and performed over 50 new works for string quartet from composers including Anthony Cheung, Sam Pluta, Sky Macklay, Tonia Ko, George Lewis, Augusta Read Thomas, Hans Thomalla, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Bernard Rands. The quartet was also nominated for GRAMMY awards in three different genres and were in residence at the University of Chicago’s Music Department. 

She is the recipient of a Music Academy of the West Alumni Enterprise Award, and was a prizewinner at the Irving M. Klein and the Schadt International Competitions. 

Additionally, Lyon is a graduate of The Juilliard School and SUNY Stony Brook, plus has performed at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Reykjavik Arts Festival, NPR’s Tiny Desk, American Academy in Rome, Miller Theater, and the Banff Centre, among others.

“Since the fall of 2016, we have been blessed by the artistry and camaraderie of our outstanding first violinist colleague, Andrea Segar!” the Lydian Quartet wrote on their website. “Andrea is moving to Colorado to take on a new position as incoming Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Colorado College of Music in Boulder. 

“We know this was a difficult decision for Andrea, and we will miss her, but we wish her lots of success and satisfaction, knowing that she will be helping to carry on a strong tradition and passion for music and the violin as perpetuated by her colleagues here and there,” they added. “We are also excited to have chosen our newest Lydian.”