The Tesla Quartet

Michelle Lie

2011-02-23T18:14:00.002-05:00

Meet Michelle Lie, our new second violinist! Here's a little about her:

Born in Munich, Germany in 1982 and raised in South Korea since the age of 6, Yeun Hae Michelle Lie did not start playing the violin until the age of 14. While some may consider this a late start for a violinist, Ms. Lie has combined dedication and talent to achieve many successes in her musical career. After graduating from the prestigious Seoul Arts High School in 2000 Ms. Lie studied at Dankook University in Seoul, Korea with DaeShick Kang. While she was getting her Bachelor’s degree Ms. Lie was awarded First prize in the 250th anniversary of J.S. Bach Competition and was the winner of Dankook University’s 2004 Concerto Competition. Ms. Lie has performed as a soloist with various orchestras in Korea. After she graduated with academic and performance honors in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree of Music, Ms. Lie went on to earn her Master’s degree at The New England Conservatory, studying with Eric Rosenblith. During this time, Ms. Lie gave solo recitals in Seoul as well as in Boston at the New England Conservatory. Ms. Lie made various appearances in the solo and chamber settings at the 2005 and 2006 IMAI (International Music and Art Institute) summer festival in Fryeburg, Maine. From 2004 to 2006, Ms. Lie has performed as a member of the Boston Philharmonic, led by Benjamin Zander, as well as the Bangor Symphony.
She continued her studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she finished a Professional Studies program with William Preucil. During her time in Cleveland, Ms. Lie was also a member of the Iannis String Quartet, which was awarded the ‘Special Recognition award’ from the 2007 Plowman Competition in Missouri. As first violinist of the Iannis Quartet, Ms. Lie participated in The Norfolk Chamber Music Festival studying with the Tokyo String Quartet and the Vermeer String Quartet in 2007. In the same year, the Iannis Quartet was honored by invitation to the Mimir Chamber Music Festival studying with members of the Chicago Symphony. Ms. Lie was invited to the 2008 Perlman Music Program where she worked with Itzhak Perlman, Don Weilerstein, Merry Peckham, Paul Katz, and Roger Tapping. As an orchestra player she has worked with the Cleveland Orchestra as a substitute member with whom she recently performed in Carnegie Hall in New York City. As a local musician, Ms. Lie joined the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic and the Richmond Symphony Orchestra while working as a concertmaster with Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra. She is currently attending Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music, studying with Mark Kaplan and pursuing a Doctoral degree in Music while teaching as an Associate Instructor.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2011-02-23T18:12:00.002-05:00

Well folks, we have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that our colleague Xian Meng is leaving us for the greener pastures of orchestra and doctoral programs. We will miss him dearly, but we wish him all the best. The good news is that Michelle Lie will be joining us as our new second violinist in May, 2011. She is a wonderful musician, and we're excited to have her here in Boulder with us.

A Little About Our Namesake

2011-01-23T16:33:00.001-05:00

Here's a good article about our mad-scientist namesake:

http://www.good.is/post/nikola-tesla-the-other-wizard/

Aspen

2010-08-03T11:27:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone!

I'm coming at you from the middle of a beautiful two months at the Aspen Music Festival. I know, I know...it's a hard knock life. It's been an amazingly productive time for us. We've performed Mozart's "Dissonance" Quartet and Dvorak's "American" Quartet, and we are now beginning work on Janacek's 1st Quartet. Look forward to hearing that one in the fall. In addition to our performances (including one in the lovely Harris Hall), we have had the opportunity to be coached by many world-class musicians. The list includes David Finckel (Emerson Quartet), James Dunham (Cleveland Quartet), Earl Carlyss (Juilliard Quartet), Takacs Quartet, Sylvia Rosenberg, and David Halen. All these amazing musicians have given us new tools and ideas, and we've been soaking it all in.

Our time here is nearing an end, and we'll be back in Boulder towards the end of August. Excited to see many of you again!

Charity Concert for Suicide Prevention

2010-04-02T20:11:00.000-04:00

String Quartet Hero

2010-03-26T21:55:00.004-04:00

Hey everybody! So, it all started with a Christmas present for my nephew. I like to call it "String Quartet Hero." Basically, I arranged "When You Were Young," by the Killers, and I also found some music by the Beatles. We recorded it, and well... we had a pretty darn good time. We've played the Killers several times now, mostly in schools, and we've decided that this whole rock 'n roll thing should happen more often. So, Ross and I have been busy arranging music we love for the group. So far, our list includes Coldplay "Viva la Vida," Outkast "Hey Ya!," and Extreme "More Than Words." My question for you is: what would you like to hear Tesla Quartet play? Input is welcome.

Our Aspen Residency

2010-02-11T12:49:00.007-05:00

I posted a few pictures of our first Aspen residency a while back, but I wanted to show a bit more of what we did there. Here's the week in pictures:

Sinfonia Concertante

2010-02-05T16:51:00.003-05:00

Hey everybody! One week from tonight, February 12, Xian and Megan will be playing Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with the Colorado University Symphony Orchestra. Come hear them play in Macky Auditorium, located at University Ave. and 17th Street in Boulder. The program starts at 7:30, and it is free. See you there!

EXTRA! EXTRA!

2010-01-24T00:59:00.007-05:00

So, if you've looked at our website, you know the great news. If not, then I am happy to tell you that the Tesla Quartet has been given a set of instruments to use! They are made by Joseph Rashid, and we are so excited about it! Here are some pictures of our recent meeting with Rashid's son, Bob, and a luthier who worked with him. Thanks to both of them and to the Rashid family. We're excited to have this opportunity!

Aspen

2010-01-20T22:24:00.002-05:00

Hello from Aspen! We're here for four days playing and teaching in local schools, as well as playing some night-time concerts. So far it's been a great residency. Here's a picture of our assembly today for the third-graders of Aspen Elementary. Their favorite part was when we let some of them come on stage and run around to whoever had the melody. It was all fun and games until a little girl tripped and fell on her face. Poor kid, but I think she's recovered and okay. :) We have a couple more days of workshops, and then we play in the Basalt Public Library on Friday night. Should be fun!

website

2009-10-27T21:50:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! We just wanted to encourage you all to visit our website, which has recently been entirely redone. We're in the middle of an exciting season, with several concerts coming up in Colorado, New York, and Connecticut. We're also loving it here in Boulder. Thanks for all you who continue to support us!

www.teslaquartet.com

Find us on Facebook

2009-08-06T12:55:00.000-04:00

Tesla Quartet on Facebook

Happy Birthday

2009-07-11T21:58:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, July 10, was Nikola Tesla's birthday. Were he still alive, he would be 153 years old! In honor of the great engineer's special day, we made a cake and lit it with electric candles, on an AC current, of course! Understandably, the candles were hard to blow out...

But seriously, Happy Birthday, Nick!

Congraduations Are In Order

2009-05-29T16:42:00.002-04:00

That's right... we graduated from the Juilliard School last Friday. Next stop- Boulder! We're all excited to have diplomas in hand and to be off to our next big step. Thanks to all you who have helped us this past year. It's been wonderful.

Our Website!

2009-05-13T11:28:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone!

So, we are officially online...again. That's right, our official quartet website is up, and you should all check it out!

http://www.teslaquartet.com/

Hooray!

Our Namesake

2009-05-05T10:01:00.005-04:00

For those of you who have ever wondered, "What is Tesla?" (or more appropriately, who is Tesla?) prepare to be enlightened! Here is an article that just appeared in the New York Times that gives a little bit of background on the man and the mystery.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/science/05tesla.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Thanks!

2009-04-11T14:47:00.001-04:00

Thank you to all of you who attended our concert at Alice Tully Hall. It was very gratifying to play in such a wonderful space, and we hope that you enjoyed it. That concert marks our last big public performance in New York before we move to Colorado, so thanks for being such a supportive audience!

BIG DEBUT!!!

2009-04-06T13:20:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Here's a reminder of our big concert coming up.

*APRIL 8th*
Tesla Quartet debut recital at Alice Tully Hall
1:00-2:00 pm
FREE

We'll be playing Haydn Op. 76 No. 5 and Mendelssohn Op. 13, and it is going to pretty much rock.

To Quash a Myth

2009-03-23T21:16:00.002-04:00

Hello readers! I just want to remind you all of our upcoming performances. We are playing Bartok's 2nd Quartet this Thursday night at Alice Tully Hall at 8:00. Then, on April 8th at 1:00, we are playing Mendelssohn Op. 13 and Haydn Op. 76 No. 5, also at Alice Tully Hall. Oh, and did I mention that both performances are F-R-E-E? Deal!

Today, I would also like to disprove the notion that the viola is the worst instrument ever. Truly, there is a sliding scale on bad, and here are some "proven" figures that support my hypothesis. They show the minimum safe distance between street-performing musicians and their audiences. Notice the viola's middling position.

Violinist: 25 feet

Bad Violinist: 50 feet

Violist: 75 feet

Tone-deaf guitarist with a Nirvana fixation: 100 feet

Accordian Player: 60 miles

And also, why do bagpipers walk while they play?

to get away from the noise

Update! Concert Added!

2009-03-18T22:59:00.002-04:00

Hey everybody! Well, through the efforts of the marvelous concert fairy, we get another chance to play in Alice Tully Hall! [insert wild applause here] Yep, add this concert to your list, because you love us and you want to see us succeed.

:)

Thursday, March 26 at 8:00 pm. Alice Tully Hall. FREE! We're playing Bartok Quartet No. 2.

Luck o' the Irish

2009-03-17T09:28:00.003-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Yes, the rumors you've been hearing are true... The Tesla Quartet has officially accepted a fellowship to study with the Takacs Quartet at University of Colorado- Boulder. We're all very excited to be out there for the next two years! Thanks for all your support and well-wishes!

Concert List, Plus a Bonus If You Read It All the Way Through

2009-03-14T15:34:00.000-04:00

Hey! Here's a list of our upcoming events. If you have any questions, email us or leave them in the comments section, and we'll do our best to give you an answer.

March 17th: Tesla Quartet performs at Avery, Manhattan, 7:30-8:30 pm, Free.
March 20th: Xian Meng's Masters Recital, Paul Hall, The Juilliard School, 4:00-6:00 pm, Free.
March 21st: Tesla Quartet at the OK Harris Works of Art, 383 W Broadway, Manhattan,
2:00-3:00 pm, Free.
April 8th: Tesla Quartet Alice Tully Hall Debut!, The Juilliard School, 1:00-2:00 pm, Free.
April 22nd: Ross Snyder's Masters Recital, Paul Hall, The Juilliard School, 6:00-8:00 pm, Free.
April 24th: Kim Patterson's Masters Recital, Paul Hall, The Juilliard School, 4:00-6:00 pm,
Free.

Now a bonus:
How is a viola like a lawsuit?
Everyone feels better when the case is closed.

Introducing... The Tesla Quartet

2009-03-09T22:05:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!

Welcome to our blog! We are hopping on the blogging craze in order to keep you, our nearest and dearest, in the loop about our concerts, competitions, favorite flavors of ice cream, etc.

As I am writing this, I'm coming to you from sunny Florida, where we're spending a week at the lovely Mountain Lake Golf Club. It is amazingly beautiful here, and we're playing concerts tomorrow and Thursday for the residents of the club and their guests. Life is rough here. Tomorrow Kim and I have to wake up early to get massages. Boo hoo. Hooray to free trips!

Ciao.