JACK Quartet — String Quartet
Christopher Otto, Violin
Austin Wulliman, Violin
John Pickford Richards, Viola
Jay Campbell, Cello
Hailed by The New York Times for their “stylistic range, precision and passion” and praised as “our generation’s leading new-music foursome,” the GRAMMY®-nominated JACK Quartet is one of the world’s most indispensable ensembles for contemporary music. Founded in 2005, the quartet comprises Christopher Otto and Austin Wulliman, violins; John Pickford Richards, viola; and Jay Campbell, cello. The group celebrates its 20th anniversary season in 2024–25, embarking on its third decade as a pioneering ensemble dedicated to building community through transformative, boundary-expanding listening experiences. Operating as a nonprofit organization, JACK Quartet is devoted to the performance, commissioning, and appreciation of 20th- and 21st-century string quartet music, and has become a vital force in advancing innovation across the field.
The quartet’s 2024–25 anniversary season features milestone events, including a celebratory concert at 92NY in New York City with the world premiere of a new commission by Anthony Cheung; the U.S. premiere of Juri Seo’s Three Imaginary Chansons at Lincoln Center; and the world premiere of Ellen Fullman’s Energy Archive at the Beyond: Microtonal Music Festival in Pittsburgh. JACK also releases John Zorn’s complete string quartets on Tzadik Records, paired with an album release concert at Brooklyn’s Roulette Intermedium. International highlights include their annual marathon at Wigmore Hall in London, appearances at Pierre Boulez Saal and Konzerthaus Berlin, and performances in Toronto, Barcelona, Lugano, and Winterthur.
Renowned for their close composer collaborations, JACK has premiered and recorded works by leading voices such as Philip Glass, Julia Wolfe, Helmut Lachenmann, Caroline Shaw, John Luther Adams, George Lewis, Catherine Lamb, Tyshawn Sorey, Amy Williams, and John Zorn. Their recordings have been described by Musical America as “must-haves for anyone interested in new music,” and their albums have earned multiple GRAMMY® nominations, including back-to-back nods in 2022 and 2023 for their recordings of John Luther Adams. Upcoming projects include complete quartet cycles of Elliott Carter and John Zorn.
Through their acclaimed JACK Studio initiative, the ensemble provides composers worldwide with paid opportunities, mentorship, and professional documentation of new works. Since its founding, JACK Studio has supported more than 40 composers from across the globe, premiering projects at venues such as TIME:SPANS, MoMA PS1, Central Park, and the Lucerne Festival.
JACK Quartet has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall, Muziekgebouw, The Louvre, Kölner Philharmonie, the Lucerne Festival, La Biennale di Venezia, Suntory Hall, the Bali Arts Festival, Festival Internacional Cervantino, and Teatro Colón. Their many honors include the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Fromm Music Foundation Prize, Musical America’s 2018 Ensemble of the Year, Lincoln Center’s Martin E. Segal Award, New Music USA’s Trailblazer Award, and the CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming.
Based in New York City, JACK Quartet is Quartet in Residence at the Mannes School of Music at The New School, where they mentor graduate students. They are also core faculty at New Music on the Point in Vermont and hold long-standing residencies at the University of Iowa String Quartet Residency Program.