VC Artist Ulysses Quartet's New Album, "Shades of Romani Folklore"

Released on Navona Records, the album features Janáček's String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters", an early Beethoven quartet, and a Rhapsody by the American composer Paul Frucht

VC Artist Ulysses Quartet's newest album on Navona Records represents repertoire from across the centuries that has a connection with the musical style and spirit of the Romani people.

Titled "Shades of Romani Folklore," the album opens with Beethoven's early String Quartet in C minor (Op. 18, No. 4), which closes with a vigorous, Romani-inspired rondo. This is then followed by Janáček's String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters", which traces the correspondence between the composer and his love Kamila Stösslová.

The album closes with a Rhapsody by the young American composer Paul Frucht, a work inspired by Ravel's well-loved violin showpiece Tzigane.

To stream or buy the album, click here.

Formed in 2015, the Ulysses Quartet comprises Christina Bouey and Rhiannon Barnerdt (violins), Colin Brookes (viola), and Grace Ho (cello). They received the grand prize and gold medal in the senior string division of the 2016 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and first prize in the 2018 Schoenfeld International String Competition. In 2017, the quartet finished first in the American Prize and won second prize at the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition.

The group has given residencies at Louisiana State University and Ithaca College. They were also the Lisa Arnhold Fellows at The Juilliard School from 2019 to 2022, serving as the school’s Graduate Resident String Quartet.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the release of Shades of Romani Folklore at long last!" the quartet said.

You can hear the quartet performing excerpts from Janáček's String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters" below.