| Ariel Quartet
Although still in their early 20’s, the Ariel Quartet (Alexandra Kazovsky and Gershon Gerchikov, violin; Sergey Tarashchansky, viola; Amit Even-Tov, cello) have celebrated their 10th Anniversary in 2008. Formed in Israel, the Quartet moved to the United States in 2004 to continue their proffessional studies and has since rapidly gained the attention of the music world. Grand prize winners of the 2006 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, they have also been awarded First Prize at the “International Competition Franz Schubert And The Music Of Modernity in Graz”, Austria (2003). After winning the Szekely Prize for their performance of Bartok, as well as the overall Third Prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2007, Gil French of the American Record Guide described the Ariel Quartet as “a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power” and called their performance of Beethoven’s Quartet Op. 132 “the pinnacle of the competition”.
The Ariel Quartet has performed extensively in Israel, Europe, and North America, including such venues as the Musée du Louvre in Paris, Kaisersaal in Frankfurt (“a tour de force,” Frankfurter Allgemeine), the Washington Performing Arts Society, Neue Galerie in New York City, and Jordan Hall in Boston. Recent performances include the Corcoran Gallery and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. In addition to performing the traditional quartet repertoire, the Ariel Quartet regularly collaborates with many Israeli and non-Israeli musicians and composers, including pianist Roman Rabinovich, the Jerusalem String Quartet, Composer Menachem Wiesenberg, pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk, clarinettist Moran Katz , composer Matti Kovler, violist Roger Tapping, and the Zukerman Chamber players.
Growing up in Jerusalem, they were coached by violinist Avi Abramovich at the Jerusalem Conservatory and the Jerusalem Academy of Music, and were part of the Young Musicians Group at the Jerusalem Music Centre. Since 2004 they have studied at the New England Conservatory with the likes of Paul Katz, Martha Strongin Katz, Kim Kashkashian, Donald Weilerstein and Miriam Fried. The Quartet has also participated in many summer festivals including the Chamber Music Workshop at The Perlman Music Program on Shelter Island, the Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravinia in Chicago, the Great Lakes Festival in Detroit, the Amadeus Summer Course in Great Britain, and ProQuartet in France.
Reflecting their dedication to music education and community service, the Ariel Quartet presents many outreach programs and special performances to a wide range of school and community groups, ranging from the public schools to retirement communities. The Quartet received extensive scholarship support for their studies in the United States from the America Israel Cultural Foundation, Dov and Rachel Gottesman, the Legacy Heritage Fund and most recently, they were awarded a substantial grant from The A. N. and Pearl G. Barnett Family Foundation and named the 2008-2009 “Barnett Fellows”. Starting in 2008, the Ariel String Quartet is currently the resident ensemble in New England Conservatory’s prestigious Professional String Quartet Training Program. | 
