Balourdet Quartet

Valley Classical Concerts is pleased to present the Balourdet Quartet performing three pieces:

Hugo Wolf: Italian Serenade
Mendelssohn: String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 44, No. 2
Beethoven: String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 130, with Grosse Fuge, Op. 133

Angela Bae, Violin

Born in Seoul, Korea, Angela Bae began her musical aspirations at the age of three. Angela has won awards in Korea and the United States, including the The Korea Times Competition, Alexander and Buono International Competition, Music Center Spotlight, and Mika Hasler Competition. She has appeared as a soloist in venues such as Weill Hall, Disney Hall, and Sydney Town Hall. When she was 16, she became the youngest Concertmaster of the American Youth Symphony in LA.

Justin DeFilippis, Violin

Justin DeFilippis is a violinist of the Balourdet Quartet, currently in residence in the Professional String Quartet Program at the New England Conservatory. Previously, he completed his Master’s Degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. An avid chamber musician, he has coached and played with members of the Brentano, Pacifica, Miro, Shanghai, Cleveland, Dover, and Ying Quartets as well as the Peabody Trio. Recently, he has also performed alongside Cho-Liang Lin and Jon Kimura Parker, members of Silkroad, and served as concertmaster of the Shepherd School Symphony on a number of occasions.

Benjamin Zannoni, Viola

Benjamin Zannoni is the violist of the Balourdet Quartet, currently in residence in the Professional String Quartet Program at the New England Conservatory. He has received degrees from the Manhattan School of Music’s Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program and Orchestral Performance Program, as well as the Juilliard School and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He has attended festivals such as the Young Artists Program at the National Arts Center in Ottawa Canada, Music Academy of the West, Sejong International Music Festival, and the Heifetz International Music Institute.

Russell Houston, Cello

Russell Houston is the cellist of the Balourdet Quartet, currently in residence at the Professional String Quartet Program at the New England Conservatory. He has performed as a soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Plano Symphony Orchestra. His festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, New York String Orchestra, Sarasota Music Festival, Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, Pyongchang Music Festival, and Taos School of Music. Houston has had the privilege of sharing the stage with renowned artists such as Denis Bouriakov, Cho-Liang Lin, Brinton Smith, and members of the Cleveland and Dover Quartets.