CHARNESS
FAMILY QUINTET (CFQ) presented its debut concert in 1993 at the Newton Free
Library and has since appeared regularly throughout New England. They have performed
at Duxbury Art Complex Museum, Museum of our National Heritage, DeCordova Museum, Boston Museum of Science, Boston Public Library, Newton Free Library, Noon Day Concert Series in Nantucket, Natick Center
for the Arts, Brandeis University, and WCRB FM's Classical Concerts at Copley
Series. They appeared as soloists with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra in 1999
and with Newton Symphony Orchestra in 2001. Their performances have been
broadcast on local access cable TV, Boston Common, WHDH TV, and
on WCRB 102.5 FM.
CFQ was featured on National Public Radio, WBZ Channel 4 TV News, Channel 9
WBNN, and in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Phoenix, Newton Tab, Nantucket
Inquirer and Mirror, and numerous local publications. CFQ programs music spanning
the Baroque to the 21tst century and has premiered numerous contemporary works
written for the group.
CFQ has produced four CD recordings of live and recorded performances: Across the
Millennium Live, Live with the Newton Symphony Orchestra, Informal, and Quintessential.
Her solo recitals have taken her through France, England, Austria, Greece, Puerto Rico, and the United States. She has soloed with the Boston Pops and her San Francisco performance of the Mozart G major flute concerto won critical acclaim.
She was founder of the St. Germain Trio, whose debut performance in Washington at the Organization of American States was enthusiastically reviewed. She has collaborated with the guitarist Robert Paul Sullivan in annual Jordan Hall performances. She appeared as the medieval flutist in Eric Rohmer's film "Perceval" and was featured as the Aviator's wife.
He has specialized for the past 20 years in the care of instrumental musicians with hand problems, co-founded the Health Program for Performing Artists at the University of California, San Francisco, and is Director of the Performing Arts Clinic at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
He is Professor of Neurology and Faculty Associate Dean at Harvard Medical School, Assistant Dean at Boston University School of Medicine, and Chief of Staff at the VA Boston Healthcare System.
Sarah Ilana Charness began her study of the violin with Jan Riggs at age five. She worked for four years with Jennifer Elowitch and five years with Marylou Speaker Churchill at the New England Conservatory. She currently studies violin with Andrew Jennings at the University of Michigan.
She was Principal Second Violinist of Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at NEC in 2001-02 and Co-concertmaster in 2002-03. Sarah was a finalist in the New England Conservatory concerto competition in 1997, 2000, and 2002. In November of 1999 she appeared as a soloist with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra playing Lalo's Symphony Espagnol. She received honorable mention for outstanding performance in the 1999-2000 Brockton Symphony Concerto Competition and was a winner in 2002-2003. She won the 1999 Henry and Gertrude Lasker Young Soloist Award and soloed with the Newton Symphony in February 2000. She performed the Mendelssohn violin concerto with the Newton Symphony in 2001
Sarah was awarded a Surdna Foundation Scholarship to attend the 2000 Young Artist Orchestra and String Quartet programs at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. She appeared with pianist and composer Julia Scott Carey on a special ASCAP recital at Lincoln Center in New York in 2000. She returned to Lincoln Center in 2002 to perform on the radio show “From the Top”. Sarah was a semifinalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, Indiana, in 2002 and 2003. She earned second prize in the Harvard Music Association High School Achievement Awards in 2003. Sarah was featured on “The Today Show” in 2002. Sarah was honored with the 2003 Eugene Lehner Chamber Music Award for Excellence at New England Conservatory.
Sarah is 20 years old and a junior in the School of Music at the University of Michigan, where she was awarded a merit scholarship in the Violin Performance Program.
Daniel Nathan Charness has been studying the cello with Nancy Hair since the age of four. In 1999 Daniel appeared as soloist with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Haydn's C major cello concerto. In 2000 he soloed in the Vivaldi E flat major cello concerto with the Baroque Chamber Orchestra at the New England Conservatory. Daniel performed the Popper Hungarian Rhapsody with the Newton Symphony Orchestra in 2001.
In 2001 he was featured on WCRB FM's Classical Concerts at Copley Series. He toured England, Ireland, and Hawaii with the Milton Academy Chamber Orchestra. In 2002 he soloed with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the Fauré Elegie.
Daniel was a gold medalist in the Milton young Musician's Festival. He was a winner in the First International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition, 2005, Boston, Mass. He appeared in chamber performances and as a soloist in the summer of 2004 in Nantucket , Mass. and at the Les Écrins Chamber Music Festival in France . During the summer of 2005 he studied and performed at the Les Arcs Music Festival in France.
Daniel is 17 years old and a senior at Milton Academy.
In November of 1999, at age 9, she appeared as a soloist with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Bach's second Brandenburg concerto. At age 10, she performed the Accolay violin concerto with the Newton Symphony Orchestra. Her recent chamber performances have included the Swerling Lecture at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and “Cartoon Fest” at Symphony Hall.
She recently performed on WCRB FM's Classical Concerts at Copley Series in Boston. She was concert mistress of the NEC String Chamber Orchestra and soloed with this orchestra in Jordan Hall at NEC in a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Winter.
Jenny is 15 years old and in 10th grade at Newton South High School.
