New York's Lark Quartet vastly expanded the American string quartet repertoire over its 34 years of existence. The group commissioned and performed new music from some of the most distinguished American composers, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning String Quartet No. 2 ("Musica instrumentalis") of Aaron Jay Kernis.
The Lark Quartet was founded in 1985 by cellist Laura Sewell, who brought on board violinists Kay Stern and Robin Mayforth, and violist Anna Kruger. Sewell applied for and won a Fresh Start competition held by Self magazine, which bankrolled the quartet's New Yor...