Vega Quartet Names Emily Daggett Smith as New First Violinist

Emily Daggett Smith will replace former first violinist Elizabeth Fayette, who left in the Spring of 2020 to pursue other opportunities.

In the interim, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concertmaster David Coucheron filled in as guest first violin.

The Vega Quartet's other instrumentalists include violinist Jessica Shuang Wu, violist Yinzi Kong, and cellist Guang Wang.

They have served as the Quartet in Residence at Emory University in Atlanta since 2006 — and won prizes at various international competitions, including the Bordeaux String Quartet Competition, Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, Carmel Chamber Music Competition, and the National Society of Arts and Letters String Quartet Competition.

A graduate of The Juilliard School and Stony Brook University, Emily Daggett Smith was the concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra, where she worked with renowned conductors Michael Tilson-Thomas and Leonard Slatkin. She has performed as a soloist with the Iris Orchestra, Festival Mozaic Orchestra, New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Classical Players, as well as a guest concertmaster of The Orlando Philharmonic and The Knights.

Daggett has also served on violin faculty at the Bard College Conservatory Pre-College and The Juilliard School, where she is an assistant to Laurie Smukler. She also served on the faculty of Stony Brook's undergraduate department.

"New Year, New Beginning!" wrote the Vega Quartett on their social media. "We are so excited to announce that Emily Daggett Smith has joined us as the first violin of the quartet! Looking forward to our journey together."