photo of Juilliard String Quartet (left to right: Nick Eanet, Ronald Copes, Joel Krosnick, Samuel Rhodes): Vanessa Briceno-Scherzer
The Juilliard String Quartet, one of America's most illustrious chamber ensembles, is again looking for a new first violinist after its most recently joined member, Nick Eanet, announced his departure from the group due to health considerations.
Less than a year after giving his debut with the group in September 2009, Eanet is leaving due to "an acute digestive ailment that makes extended touring too difficult," according to the press statement issued by the quartet. However, he will continue to remain in the ensemble during the 2010-11 season, while the three other musicians undertake a new search. Eanet had given up a position as concertmaster with the Metropolitan Opera to join the Juilliard String Quartet; he replaced violinist Joel Smirnoff, who left the quartet to assume the presidency of the Cleveland Institute of Music.
"It is with a heavy heart that I must give up my position," said Eanet in the statement. "It has been a privilege to make music and work with such wonderful people and musicians. Unfortunately, my health will not allow me to continue but I will remember my time with the quartet as a high point in my musical career."
The remaining members took care to make a statement that underscored the nature of this sudden leave-taking. Said the group's second violinist, Ronald Copes, who joined the quartet in 1997: "It has been an immense artistic and personal pleasure working with Nick over the past year, watching and listening as the Quartet's voice has evolved. It is a great disappointment that we won't be able to continue this collaboration for the long term."
Eanet was only the twelfth musician to join the quartet in its long history; along with Copes, the other two artists in the group are violist Samuel Rhodes, who joined the Juilliard in 1968, and cellist Joel Krosnick, who became a member in 1974.
Founded in 1946 as The Juilliard School's resident string quartet, the ensemble has become one of the world's foremost quartets in performing not just the standard repertoire, but in championing American composers such as Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter and Milton Babbitt. The group has also been the Library of Congress' quartet-in-residence since 1963.
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by Anastasia Tsioulcas
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