ABOUT US
GAIA Quartet is an all-women string quartet with a passion for bringing to light the music of under-represented composers. The quartet was founded in 2022 by Aspen Barker, Yi Charice Tang, Simone Cartales, and Rosalyn Taylor at the Longy School of Music.
GAIA Quartet gets their name from the Greek goddess Gaia (or Gaea) who is the personification of Mother Earth. The name was chosen to represent their diverse musical and cultural backgrounds, and their shared passion for innovative artistic expression. ​GAIA Quartet has collaborated with several emerging composers, including Christine Hedden, Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), Patrick Wu, and Salome Yichi Zhang. They have also worked with critically acclaimed ensembles; INTERWOVEN, Aizuri Quartet and the Horszowski Trio. In 2024, GAIA Quartet was invited to the St. Lawrence Chamber Music Seminar, where they worked with members from St. Lawrence String Quartet, Kronos Quartet and Brentano Quartet.
THE GAIA MISSION
GAIA Quartet is dedicated to promoting under-represented composers and diverse music that lays outside the traditional Western Classical canon. The quartet's mission is to bring awareness to the lack of diversity in the classical music world and inspire a new generation of inclusivity in music. GAIA Quartet has created its own concert series “Sonority Unleashed”, which showcases the unique talents of each member while simultaneously fostering a collaborative environment that creates innovative and impactful performances. The quartet was founded on the principle of using art to promote empathy, inclusivity, and unification.
GAIA Quartet is sponsored by the Marilyn Mason Foundation.