h2 quartet

The award-winning h2 quartet has been wowing audiences since 2002. h2 takes advantage of the great expressive capacity of their instrument by programming traditional, avant-garde, minimalist, and jazz-influenced works in surprising and compelling ways. h2 has performed throughout the United States, in Europe, the UK and in Asia.

The ensemble has released seven critically-acclaimed recordings: Generations, Times & Spaces, Groove Machine, Hard Line, Enrapture, Soul Searching, and Infinity Mirror. These recordings feature some of the most cutting edge composers of today, and often showcase unexpected and intriguing relationships between different kinds of popular and avant-garde music.

The h2 quartet has been featured on NPR and PBS programs, including the nationally-syndicated Backstage Pass. Along with demonstrating a mastery of traditional quartet repertoire, h2 is dedicated to the commissioning and performing of new works. The quartet has commissioned works by Drew Baker, Claudio Gabriele, Takuma Itoh, David MacDonald, Victor Marquez-Barrios, Roger Petersen, Forrest Pierce, David Rakowski, Jesse Ronneau, Bill Ryan, Matthew Schoendorff, Daniel Wohl, and has premiered works by John Mackey, Marc Mellits, Mari Takano, and Amy Williams. 

The h2 quartet has won prizes at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (First Prize, Gold Medals) and the North American Saxophone Alliance Saxophone Quartet Competition (first prize), among others. The group was also finalists in the Concert Artists Guild Competition, and earned Honorable Mentions at the Plowman Chamber Music Competition, the Chesapeake Bay Chamber Music Competition, and the Coleman Chamber Music Competition. The ensemble’s recording of Marc Mellits’ “Groove Canon” was featured as the monologue theme music for the Broadway show The Heidi Chronicles, starring Elisabeth Moss and Jason Biggs. h2 is also the recipient of several Aaron Copland Fund Grants.

The h2 quartet is a Vandoren and Yamaha Artist Ensemble.

SELECTED PERFORMANCES

• Merkin Concert Hall, New York City
• Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
• National Concert Hall, Dublin, Ireland
• Cankar Jev Dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia
• The Times Center, New York City
• Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
• Michigan State University, East Lansing
• Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti
• Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids
• Blue Lake Festival, White Lake
• University of Georgia, Athens