About JACK Studio
JACK Studio was created by JACK Quartet in 2019 to support commissions, recordings, and residencies with music artists who are interested in exploring and expanding the repertory for string quartet.
By bringing together diverse groups of excellent and adventurous people in a focused and enjoyable setting to not only create new artistic projects, but to contribute to the evolution of the JACK Studio project itself, we have created an artistic ecosystem to link people that otherwise may not have had these opportunities, while simultaneously expanding the variety of musical artists with whom JACK has the opportunity to collaborate.
JACK Quartet rehearses with Studio Artists Eduardo Aguilar and Seare Farhat prior to performances of their pieces at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, November 10, 2024. Photos: Cherylynn Tsushima
We conceived JACK Studio to help address inequity in our field by creating a free application process that provides open access to music artists at various stages in their careers as composers, then offering selected artists paid opportunities to develop new work, hear their music performed by JACK, consult with mentors in the field, and receive recorded documentation.
Two-Year Residencies
This two-year residency invites composers to work with JACK Quartet over a longer period of time, fostering deeper experimentation and collaboration between the recipients and JACK. While some resident artists may choose to include a premiere of work for string quartet within their residency, a final performance is not a requirement.
Reading Sessions
Recipients have existing works for string quartet read by JACK. The quartet will offer feedback and make professional audio and video documentation, to be used by the composers for academic and professional applications as well as non-commercial promotion.
Since 2019, more than 40 composers have worked with JACK Quartet through JACK Studio, hailing from Argentina, Belarus, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, South Africa, Syria, and the United States. Their projects have been performed by JACK Quartet at venues including 92NY, TIME:SPANS, MoMA PS1, Ojai Music Festival, Cal Performances, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Lucerne Festival, and Wigmore Hall, in addition to being recorded for professional releases.
JACK Quartet and Studio Artists Vicente Atria and Eduardo Aguilar at Ojai Music Festival, June 2025. Photo: Greg Brown
Applications to Residencies and Readings are reviewed by the four members of JACK Quartet in consultation with several artistic advisors each summer. As a core component of JACK Studio is expanding and diversifying JACK’s network of collaborators, review criteria includes access to educational opportunities, a demonstrated need for career opportunities and mentorship, alongside artistic vision and creativity that expands the boundaries of institutional classical music.
Applications for Readings are now available.
Application deadline is 11:59pm ET on September 15, 2025.
Applications for Residencies will open in Fall 2025.
Building on the established success of JACK Studio, during our 20th Anniversary Season in 2024/25, JACK increased the reach of JACK Studio to support three streams of activity: Commissions for string quartet by prominent composers; two-year paid Residencies for emerging composers; and Annual Reading Sessions of existing string quartets by emerging composers. Recent Commissions include new works by Anthony Cheung, Juri Seo, and Ellen Fullman, with commissions in development by Tristan Perich, Charmaine Lee, Andrew Norman, Eric Wubbels, Thomas Meadowcroft, and Catherine Lamb.
Our 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant provided the seed funds for JACK Studio, and JACK has continued to fund JACK Studio through the support of institutional and individual donors.
We invite you to join this dedicated group of donors and make a tax-deductible donation today to support the continued growth of JACK Studio.
JACK Quartet gratefully acknowledges the following funders and institutions for their support of JACK Studio: The 92nd Street Y, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Amphion Foundation, Alice M. Ditson Fund, Fan Fox & Samuels Foundation, Howard Gilman Foundation, Marsha Gray, Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, New York State Council on the Arts, Potash Hill, and Rita Schaefer in honor of Michael Schaefer.