“Destined to impress even the most attuned music lovers” (Chicago Magazine), Varo String Quartet (Carmen Abelson and Hannah Christiansen, violins; Lena Vidulich, viola; and Isidora Nojkovic, cello) came together over their shared love for the existing string quartet literature and excitement about the possibilities for what the ensemble can become in the hands of today’s composers. Lauded for the “killer ambiance” (AudPod) of their concert experiences, the Quartet prides itself on inventive programming and spirited, intimate, and risk-taking performances. They are named after one of the three witches of Surrealism, the painter Remedios Varo, whose vibrant creativity, juxtaposition of themes, and lifelong pursuit of discovery inspire the Quartet to pair “music that everybody knows [with] music that nobody knows” in thought-provoking and unexpected ways. 

VSQ began their “different and disturbing” 2024-2025 concert season with the world premiere of their first large-scale commission, what it means to fall apart by composer Kristopher Bendrick. The season to come affirms their “penchant for playing in unusual spaces”: the Quartet returns to the May Chapel of Rosehill Cemetery for works by Haydn, Amaya, Hannau, and Ligeti, debuts on the Musicians Club of Women’s Artist in Recital Series, and embarks upon a microtonal double quartet journey through the mind of composer Noah Jenkins alongside saxophone quartet ~Nois, amongst other programs. Highlights of previous seasons include performing works of David Lang and Julia Wolfe with conductor Donald Nally (The Crossing) and the Northwestern University Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, and a portrait concert of one of VSQ’s favorite composers, Grazyna Bacewicz, at the International Museum of Surgical Science. The members of VSQ have backgrounds spanning many genres and have performed with groups including Chicago Sinfonietta, Ensemble Dal Niente, Japanese Breakfast, the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and Thurman Barker & the Cagy Bird Orchestra. Collectively, they hold degrees from DePaul University, the Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern University, Oberlin Conservatory, Rice University, and the University of Ottawa.