About KAIA
Victoria Moreira, violin
Naomi Culp, violin
Oana Tatu, viola
Veronica Nettles, cello
“Kaia,” Earth/Goddess of the Earth represents the ensemble’s mission to incorporate music of cultures from around the world in addition to being active performers of the traditional canon of quartet music.
With their current focus on exploring the music of Latin American composers, both contemporary and traditional, the quartet was recently featured in the Latin American Music Center Conference at Indiana University resulting in a co-production to record works by Julián Orbón, Roque Cordero and Elbio Barilari.
In September 2011, the quartet opened the Latin American Music Festival Chicago where they gave the world premier of Barilari’s quartet, The Antique Store and featured works by Ruben Gonzalez, Gustavo Leone, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Astor Piazzolla.
The quartet was featured in the Latin American Music Festival 2010 as well, collaborating with Argentine composer and composition professor at Loyola, Gustavo Leone. Live from the Chicago Cultural Center, the performance was broadcasted on 98.7 WFMT radio.
Other appearances on WFMT radio include features on Impromptu both in 2010 and 2011 in collaboration with Gustavo Leone and Michael Ward-Bergeman respectively. The 2011 Chicago Summer Opera production of Astor Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires was broadcasted Live from Chicago Cultural Center, a performance in which the quartet was able to perform side-by-side with prominent tango artists including Grammy-winner Raul Juarena.
In addition to collaborating with prominent South American composers, Kaia has also recorded for Grammy-nominee, Victor Pichardo with his ensemble, Sones de Mexico on their latest album, Viva La Revolucion!
With the dedication to perform authentic “world music” traditions, the quartet was featured at Old Town School of music and Summer Dance Festival in collaboration with Tangata tango ensemble. Current and upcoming tango-related projects include recording for bassist and composer, Mark Sonksen, working with Tangata as well as recording for Minetti Productions with pianist and composer, Alfredo Minetti and soprano Catalina Cuervo.
In the classical realm, the quartet has given recitals through the St. John Cantius Parish Chamber Music Series, University ofIllinois Music at One Series as well through DePaul University playing works by Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Bela Bartok, Alexander Borodin and Ludwig Van Beethoven.
Originally formed in 2009 at the DePaul University School of Music the ensemble has studied with Rami Solomonov, Cliff Colnot and Ilya Kaler.
The quartet is available for both educational and community outreach presentations and performances in addition to recital engagements.
