FoM 2026 / 40th ANNIVERSARY

Ivalas Quartet

Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 3pm First Presbyterian Church, 96 Main Street, Stamford, NY

Suggested donation: $15 adults, $10 students and seniors, free for ages 13 and under

No reservations required.

Reuben Kebede, violin
Tiani Butts, violin
Marcus Stevenson, viola
Pedro Sánchez, cello

Hailed by The Strad for playing with “tremendous heart and beauty,” the Ivalas Quartet has been changing the face of classical music since its inception in 2017 with a mission to enrich the classical music world by spotlighting past and present BIPOC composers alongside the standard repertor, including the premiere of Derrick Skye’s Deliverance through a commission from Caramoor in 2024.

The Ivalas Quartet served as the Graduate Resident String Quartet at The Juilliard School from 2022 to 2024, where they studied with the Juilliard String Quartet. They were previously in residence at the University of Colorado-Boulder under the mentorship of the Takács Quartet. The Quartet won a Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant in 2023, and also had the great honor of serving as the 2022-23 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at Caramoor. In 2022, Ivalas won the grand prize at the Coltman Chamber Music Competition, as well as first prize at the 2019 WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition.

Performing on concert series throughout the United States, the quartet has been presented by the Austin Chamber Music Center, Newport Classical, Schneider Concerts, the Chautauqua Institution, the Skaneateles Festival, Friends of Chamber Music Denver, and CU Presents, where they collaborated with the Takács Quartet in 2020 and 2022. In May of 2023 and 2024, they presented full programs at Carnegie Hall, titled “First Light” and “Fate and Yearning.” Recently, the quartet has enjoyed performing on Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City, and in collaboration with New Latin Wave, the FUTUROS – New Ideas in Composition series. The Quartet is also thrilled to be the 2024-2025 Curator/Performing Ensemble of the Schneider Concerts at The New School in New York City.

Ivalas Quartet, June 21, 2026 Program

2026 Friends of Music Schedule