The Dolphins String Quartet

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The Dolphins are a premiere Juilliard string quartet committed to adventure, excellence, and accessibility. Formed in Blue Hill, Maine at the 2022 Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, the quartet has since performed nationwide. The Dolphins have frequently featured at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, performing the Juilliard premiere of Miecyszlaw Weinberg’s String Quartet No. 4, Villa-Lobos’ String Quartet No. 5, and the world premiere of William Stackpole’s 2021 String Quartet. The Dolphins work closely with living composers, recently performing John Corigliano’s 1995 String Quartet and Daniel Ficarri’s ‘Lessons from the Neighborhood’.

 

The Dolphins also presented their first collective composition, ‘The Dolphin Miniatures’ at Juilliard and around New York City. This past summer, the Dolphins returned to Maine and Kneisel Hall to perform Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 1 and Beethoven Op. 18, No. 1, and finished the summer with a series of concerts at Music from Angel Fire in New Mexico where they worked closely with composer-in-residence, Andy Akiho, and percussionist, Ian Rosenbaum, on Akiho’s ‘Ligneous’ for string quartet and marimba.

 

The Dolphins are fortunate to have studied with Laurie Smukler, Joel Krosnick, Natasha Brofsky, Molly Carr, Nick Mann, Fred Sherry, Paul Neubauer, John Corigliano, and the Juilliard String Quartet. In late-September, the Dolphins helped launch the ‘Music for the Future’ educational campaign for Project: Music Heals Us, bringing Juilliard composition curriculums to prisons around the country. The Dolphins are proud Juilliard Gluck Community Service Fellows and perform outreach concerts throughout NYC. In 2024, the Dolphins will visit multiple universities and conservatories as guest artists to perform and work with students on quartets and improvisation. Outside of rehearsal, James is a pie connoisseur, Ian climbs rocks, Luke binges Bob Ross ‘The Joy of Painting’ re-runs, and Isaac enjoys video games.

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Luke, 20 years old, from Raleigh, North Carolina, began playing violin at the age of three. He currently studies with Mr. Li Lin at The Juilliard School in New York City. Luke made his solo debut with the Georgia Philharmonic at age 12. Luke was a member of the Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School led by Ms. Merry Peckham. Luke was a member of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra throughout high school, and performed internationally in Berlin, Salzburg, Budapest, Pecs, Vienna, Amsterdam, and Jihlava. Luke is featured on National Public Radio’s From The Top (Show 392), celebrating the top young classically-trained musicians.

 

Luke was awarded The New England Conservatory Preparatory School Eugene Lehrer Chamber Music Award. In 2020, Luke was the Gold Medal Winner in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Coltman National Chamber Music Competition. In 2021 Luke won The American Prize in Instrumental Performance and the Grand

Prize at the World Classical Music Awards. At Juilliard, Luke’s quartet, The Dolphins, is in the Honors Chamber Music Program, and has worked closely with Laurie Smukler, Natasha Brofsky, Molly Carr, Joel Krosnick, Nick Mann, Fred Sherry, John Corigliano, and the Juilliard String Quartet. When he isn’t playing violin, Luke enjoys hiking and listening to John Coltrane.

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Ian Maloney is a cellist, composer, and chamber musician studying with Joel Krosnick at The Juilliard School where he is currently pursuing a Master of Music. He is the cellist in the Dolphins Quartet, an ensemble in The Juilliard Honors Chamber Music Program. Ian has appeared on WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase, NPR’s From the Top, and in music videos with Brooklyn’s Project Trio and violinist Joshua Bell. He has performed in master classes for Carter Brey, Philippe Muller, Clive Greensmith, Paul Katz, David Finckel, Bonnie Hampton and Colin Carr.

 

He has earned first prize in numerous music competitions and has appeared as a featured orchestral soloist. In January, Ian performed at GlobalFEST 2023 with the New York Arabic Orchestra at David Geffen Hall. Ian has also attended the Young Artist Chamber Music Programs at Music@Menlo, Kneisel Hall, and Yellow Barn, and was a featured young artist at the 2023 Music from Angel Fire festival.

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James Preucil, violist and composer, is in his fourth year at the Juilliard School of Music, where he studies with Samuel Rhodes. He previously studied with Peter Slowik and his mother, Stephanie Preucil. An avid chamber music musician, James was a Young Artist at the Music From Angel Fire Festival in August 2023 and he has attended Kneisel Hall Chamber Festival (2022, 2023), Juilliard Chamberfest (2022, 2023), Castleman Quartet Program (2019), and Credo Chamber Music Festival (2016-2018). James is also dedicated to composition, especially centered around the viola.

 

His compositional style ranges from the natural, idiomatic sounds of strings in classical tradition to ideas typical of pop, country, and jazz, often combining all of those elements. He has completed and performed three major works for solo viola: “Kalendarmusik” Partita (2021), Sonata no. 1 in C major “The Sea” (2022), and Sonata no. 2 in Db major “Solitude” (2023). He recently completed his String Quartet No. 1 in f# minor, “Grunge”.

 

Since January 2021, James has created videos for his YouTube channel called “Viola King”, aimed at forming a community of violists and viola supporters. Now with an audience of more than 30,000 followers across multiple platforms, he regularly posts arrangements, covers, vlogs, comedy videos, and discussions about the viola.

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Violinist Isaac Park, age 21, began his studies at the age of five with Sunny Kang, and studied with

Li Lin, Wei He, Helen Kim, and Chen Zhao. In 2020, he entered the undergraduate program at The Juilliard School where he is currently a student of Joseph Lin.

 

From 2016-2019, Isaac was a member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. During their 2018-2019 tour, he served as co- concertmaster on their European tour where they played in venues such as the Elbphilharmonie, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the Musikverein. He has enjoyed chamber music from an early age, playing in non profit groups, the Young Chamber Musicians, and at various festivals.

 

He has attended the Taos School of Music, Kneisel Hall, the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, and Music from Angelfire. Currently based in New York, he enjoys performing in nursing homes and hospitals as Juilliard Gluck Community Service Fellow.