Karuna Quartet: Haydn, Mendelssohn, Shaw

7 PM Doors & Pre-Reception
8 PM Performance
9:30 PM Post-Reception

Karuna Quartet: Haydn, Mendelssohn, Shaw

Gotham Arts in collaboration with Groupmuse is delighted to present an intimate chamber music performance by the Karuna Quartet featuring works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, and contemporary composer Caroline Shaw.

Wine will be served.

Program

HAYDN Quartet in D Major, Op. 71 No. 2
1. Adagio — Allegro
2. Adagio cantabile
3. Menuetto: Allegro
4. Finale: Allegretto

CAROLINE SHAW "Blueprint"

MENDELSSOHN Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 44 No. 3
1. Allegro vivace
2. Scherzo: Assai leggiero vivace
3. Adagio non troppo
4. Molto allegro con fuoco

About the Artists

The Karuna Quartet, Gold Medalists and Composer Prize winners of the 2026 St. Paul String Quartet Competition, was founded in 2025 at The Juilliard School. It consists of violinists Sophia Werner and Nicole Yun, violist Erin Emi Nishi and cellist Isabelle Nichols, and is a 2026-27 Juilliard Honors ensemble under the mentorship of Nina Lee. Other musical influences include Laurie Smukler, Merry Peckham, Natasha Brofsky and Catherine Cho. Upcoming performances include the Perlman Music Program’s Suncoast residency (FL), a residency at Emerald City Music (WA), and an appearance in Alice Tully Hall.

During the Summer of 2026, the KQ was invited to study with the Pacifica Quartet and Atar Arad as a resident string quartet for Indiana University’s Professional String Quartet Studies program (Bloomington, IN). They also served as guest Artist Faculty of IU’s Summer String Academy. In addition, they attended the Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop as a resident quartet.

The Karuna Quartet is passionate about interdisciplinary collaboration. In 2025, they were invited to collaborate with Juilliard Dance during "Opening Night" at Juilliard's Fall Festival. They performed Caroline Shaw's third “Essay” alongside the world premiere of Jamar Roberts' choreography “From Root to Sky.” As part of this opportunity, they had the privilege to work with Caroline Shaw herself.

In Fall of 2025, Karuna Quartet appeared at concert series including Juilliard's “Rush Hour Performance” series, Alice Tully Hall's “Wednesdays at One” series, and were featured on the American Young Artists' and the Westside Chamber Players series.

Passionate about music education and community engagement, the Karunas have held a bi-weekly music and visual art appreciation course for the students of the Red Hook Art Project (Brooklyn, NY), and have presented additional educational programs to school-aged children.

The Karuna Quartet derives their name from the concept of "karuna" which, in the Sanskrit tradition, translates to "compassion". In Mahayana Buddhism, "karuna" is not simply an emotion, but a practice — an intentional cultivation of empathy, understanding, and care for others. Guided by this principle, the Karuna Quartet embraces chamber music as a living practice of compassion.

What's the music?

Karuna Quartet String Quartet