Known around the world, performing around the corner

For nearly forty years, the Ciompi Quartet has performed for a wide variety of audiences, including prime ministers, governors—and Duke students. Whether in concerts, open rehearsals or in music seminar classes, Ciompi is accessible to government elites and undergraduate students alike. The world-renowned Ciompi Quartet is Duke’s resident music group, though most students may have never heard of them.

Composed of Eric Pritchard, Hsiao-mei Ku, Jonathan Bagg and Fred Raimi: all Duke music professors, the Ciompi Quartet was founded in 1965 by Italian violinist Giorgio Ciompi. Ciompi travels widely throughout Europe, Asia and the United States for concerts, residencies and other outreach programs. Next season marks the quartet’s 40th anniversary, and plans for a reunion celebration in July are in the making.

“We want to bring [music] to students and faculty,” Pritchard said. “We’re also integrated with the composition program by commissioning pieces from the faculty and premiering pieces from graduate students. It’s important to bring Duke’s name to the country and to the world, so we do a lot of national and international touring.”

“We’re here for the student body,” Bagg said. “The kinds of students that apply to Duke and the kinds of students that Duke wants to have here... are good musicians, and for Duke to be an attractive place, I think it has to have a strong performance program…. That’s the whole point of bringing a quartet here in the first place.”

Ciompi’s performances are full of explosive energy and their distinctive, rich sound. Watching them at an open rehearsal, one gets the sense that they are extremely absorbed in their work. Brows furrowed, fingers flying, Pritchard seems nearly to jump out of his chair with enough excitement to match the Haydn on his music stand.

Hsiao-mei Ku, faculty-in-residence at Pegram dorm, enjoys playing for undergraduates. “Through that we get to meet a lot of different students,” she said. “I really like to make students aware [of music]. They forget that the education they want is not just about having good grades. I think one of the important components of education is to explore. That’s the fun part.”

Stressing the patience and commitment needed to play an instrument, Ku said these skills are applicable to non-music areas as well. “For the people who want to become musicians, I would say, ‘Study everything else, too.’ For the people who study everything else, ‘Study music.’ Open your mind up. Broaden your vision. Don’t be afraid of failure. Keep your options open and work on toward your goal.”

Whether touring dorm-to-dorm or country-to-country, the Ciompi Quartet continues to amaze listeners young and old, students and international dignitaries, musicians and non-musicians alike. To attend a Ciompi performance would be an excellent chance to see what international audiences have already known and praised.