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The Callisto Quartet has announced the appointment of Taiwanese-American violinist Eric Tsai as its new first violinist, replacing violinist Cameron Daly. He joins violinist Gregory Lewis, violist Eva Kennedy, and cellist Hannah Moses.
Tsai has studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Juilliard School, and Stony Brook University, with teachers including Shmuel Ashkenasi, Ida Kavafian, Catherine Cho, and Hagai Shaham. His accolades include second prize at the 2019 Michael Hil International Violin Competition, the bronze medal at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, and the Chimei Arts Award. He also reached the semi-finals of the Premio Paganini competition, and from 2022–2023 his ensemble Quatuor Cael was the honours ensemble at the Juilliard School.
Most recently Tsai established the Spiritus Festival in Long Island, which held its inaugural summer season in June, and he will be continuing with residencies with the Callis Ensemble throughout the 2024–2025 season. Tsai has also performed across New York and Philadelphia as part of community engagement projects, and during the Covid-19 pandemic his quartet performed for under-served communities throughout Taiwan in partnership with Taiwan Connection.
The Callisto Quartet was established in 2016 at the Cleveland Institute of Music has since won accolades including the grand prize at the 2018 Fischoff Competition, second prize at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, as well as prizes at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
The quartet has also held residencies at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Yale University, Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Caramoor Center for Music and Arts, Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, and currently serves as associated faculty at the Chamber Music Connection in Columbus, Ohio.
The quartet expressed its enthusiasm for Tsai’s appointment:
‘We are so excited to welcome violinist Eric Tsai to our ensemble. Eric is an amazing musician with a rich history as both a performer and an educator. He brings such thoughtful musicianship and energy to our ensemble, and we are so excited for this next chapter together!’
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