Maureen Nelson, violin; John Marcus, violin
Melissa Reardon, viola; Richard Belcher, cello

It was "standing room only," wrote the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of a performance by the Ensō String Quartet. Commenting on the dynamism of the group, the Ann Arbor News declared their playing "crisp, incisive . . . with just the right quotient of sass." The Strad applauded them for their "lyricism, style and expression as well as sophistication" and the Washington Post noted their "glorious sonorities . . . thrillingly athletic performance." In addition to audience appreciation and critical acclaim, the Ensō String Quartet has earned multiple honors at the 2004 Banff International String Quartet Competition and victories at the 2003 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.

The ensemble's 2005 debut on Naxos Records, a 2-CD set of Ignaz Pleyel's six string quartets, Op. 2, garnered rave reviews. The Strad called the disc "an auspicious start to the Ensō String Quartet's recording career," Gramophone hailed their playing as "lively and intelligent," and Fanfare Magazine praised the ensemble for its "extraordinary talent . . . exceptional sense of vitality and elegance." Upcoming releases on Naxos Records include the piano quintets of Ernst von Dohnányi and the three string quartets of Alberto Ginastera, featuring the esteemed soprano Lucy Shelton.

The ensemble formed in 1999 while students at Yale University and completed graduate residencies at Northern Illinois University with the Vermeer Quartet and at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Featured in the American Ensembles column of Chamber Music magazine, their performances have been broadcast on PBS, Chicago's WFMT, Wisconsin Public Radio, Minnesota Public Radio, Houston's KUHF, Australia's ABC Classic FM, Radio New Zealand and Canada's CBC radio.

The ensemble's name, ensō, is derived from the Japanese zen painting of the circle which represents many things; perfection and imperfection, the moment of chaos that is creation, the emptiness of the void, the endless circle of life, and the fullness of the spirit.