Interlochen's 2025 Advanced String Quartets play Beethoven in Studio A

By Gracie Westergaard

Published August 1, 2025 at 6:03 AM EDT

Violinists Julia Lee and Evie Chow record in IPR's Studio A. They are members of the Advanced String Quartet program at Interlochen Arts Camp. (2025)

Interlochen's Advanced High School String Quartets recorded Beethoven's String Quartet op. 18, no. 6 in IPR's Studio A.

Each summer, Interlochen Arts Camp’s Advanced String Quartet program brings together sixteen exceptional high school musicians from around the world for an intensive chamber music experience. This year’s group includes students from places all over the country and world, such as Mason, Ohio; Incheon, South Korea; and Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

The students are divided into four quartets, with each group tackling a complete movement from a major string quartet. After weeks of rehearsals and coachings, the ensembles visit Interlochen Public Radio’s Studio A to record the music they’ve prepared.

This year, the young musicians have been preparing Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 6 in B-flat major, Op. 18, No. 6.

The High School Advanced String Quartets will give their final recital of the summer on Sunday, August 3 at 3 p.m. in Music Center 1008 on Interlochen's campus.

Each quartet is pictured below, and all movements can be heard on demand in this podcast episode, hosted by Amanda Sewell.

L to R: Halyn Kim, Alex Gemeinhardt, Natalie Helm (faculty), Kasinda Willingham

Movement 1: Allegro con brio
Halyn Kim, violin, Porter Ranch, CA
Alex Gemeinhardt, violin, New York, NY
Kasinda Willingham, viola, Hamilton, OH
Natalie Helm, cello (faculty coach)

L to R: Hannah Schweiger, Jiles Defosse, Noah Scharback, Ashton Carter

Movement 2: Adagio ma non troppo
Hannah Schweiger, violin, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Jiles Defosse, violin, Annapolis, MD
Ashton Carter, viola, Memphis, TN
Noah Scharback, cello, Eden Prairie, MN
Lenny Schranze, faculty coach

L to R: Karis Shin, Kieran Niska, Albert Lee, Lake Weeks

Movement 3: Scherzo: Allegro - Trio
Karis Shin, violin, Incheon, South Korea
Kieran Niska, violin, Mason, OH
Lake Weeks, viola, Powell, OH
Albert Lee, cello, Harrington Park, NJ
Tim Shiu, faculty coach

L to R: Julia Lee, Evie Chow, Jisoo Park, Preston Elliott

Movement 4: La Malinconia: Adagio – Allegretto quasi Allegro - adagio - Allegretto - Un poco adagio - Prestissimo
Julia Lee, violin, Ellicott City, MD
Evie Chow, violin, Edina, MN
Preston Elliot, viola, Kansas City, MO
Jisoo Park, cello, Troy, MI
Mark Rudoff, faculty coach

Want to see video of each quartet performing in IPR's Studio A? Follow Classical IPR on Instagram!

This recording session was engineered by Benjamin Stephens and Isa Garcia.