Calder Quartet

The Calder Quartet was founded at the University of Southern California (USC) Thornton School of Music by violinists Benjamin Jacobson and Andrew Bulbrook, violist Jonathan Moerschel, and cellist Eric Byers. Following their undergraduate education, the members of the Calder Quartet attended The Colburn School Conservatory of Music's graduate quartet-in-residence program, continuing its work under the tutelage of cellist Ronald Leonard. The Calder Quartet then completed its formal education at The Juilliard School. As Lisa Arnhold Fellows, the members of the Calder Quartet earned complimentary tuition and stipends, as well as lessons with the Julliard String Quartet. As the Juilliard Graduate Resident String Quartet, the Calder Quartet participated in regular recitals and assisted the Julliard String Quartet in the classroom. The Calder Quartet received the Artist Diploma in Chamber Music Studies for its work as the Juilliard Graduate Resident String Quartet prior to finishing the graduate program.

The Calder Quartet frequently tours the United States, presenting a spectrum of works from the traditional to the experimental in such contexts as The Wordless Music Series, the Walt Disney Concert Hall's Green Umbrella Series, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Minimalist Jukebox festival. Additionally, the Calder Quartet continues to work with the Carlsbad Music Festival, which the group co-founded in 2004, and remains The Colburn School Conservatory of Music's Quartet-In-Residence, performing semi-annually at Los Angeles's Herbert Zipper Concert Hall. Honored with a coveted American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Adventurous Programming Award, the Calder Quartet works intimately with modern composers such as Christopher Rouse and Terry Riley as well as experimental rock ensembles like The Airborne Toxic Event. The Calder Quartet has been featured on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.