About the Academy

Why do we need one more string program?

When the St. Petersburg Quartet first came to the USA in 1989, during talks with musicians and students we were frequently asked: "What is the secret of the Russian string instrumental school"? We replied that it is the special emphasis on timbre, the unique individuality of each musician, the overall concept of each piece, phrasing, etc.

And the answer was, "But what about famous American performers such as Heifetz, Elman, Zimbalist, Milstein, Galamian?" "But they are ours Russians" we replied. Most of them studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, which is where they got their unique sound, style and technique. All of them were pupils of the St. Petersburg Conservatory's famous professor, Leopold Auer."

Leopold Auer (1845-1930) was one of the greatest and most influential violin pedagogues of all times. The founder of the great Russian violin tradition, he taught Jascha Heifetz, Misha Elman, Nathan Milstein, Efrem Zimbalist and other luminaries at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, later bringing his art to the United States, to the Institute of Musical Art in New York and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia.

Individuality was the main thing. No two players sounded the same. Each artist had a unique voice on their instrument.

They brought this performing tradition to America.

The cornerstone of this tradition is the special attention to sound, which has to mimic the quality of "bel canto" (or the human voice) and convey the full palette of the emotional spectrum. For the listener, the sound of the violin, viola or cello must evoke the same emotions as those which the performer instilled into the music.