Saturday, March 29
The Acis Quartet
Christ the King Lutheran Church
5:00 to 6:30pm
The Acis Quartet presents an evening string quartet recital featuring the best of 18th and 20th century compositions.
Program
Haydn - Quartet Op. 77, No. 1 in G major
Shostakovich - Quartet Op. 117, No. 9 in E flat major
The Acis String Quartet, established in 2024, is a vibrant ensemble born from the legacy of Galatea Chamber Music. The ensemble features violinists Hoorig Poochikian and Johnathan Spence, violist Dave Phillips, and cellist Emma Hays Johnson. With a shared dedication to musical excellence and creative collaboration, they connect with a wide range of audiences through innovative outreach efforts and concerts each year to enhance accessibility in the realm of chamber music, ensuring it is available to all.
Tickets Available Here
Meet the Artists
Johnathan Spence, Violin
Violinist Johnathan Spence received his Doctorate of Music in Violin and Viola under the study of Hagai Shaham at Stony Brook University in 2017. He is also a graduate of East Carolina University, where he studied with Ara Gregorian. Focusing on his passion for teaching and performing chamber music, Spence returned to his home town and founded his strings academy now known as Galatea Chamber Music. Through Galatea he is mentoring musicians, creating and engaging in community enrichment programs, and bringing chamber music concerts to the east coast each season.
Spence also performs as concertmaster of The New Carolina Sinfonia, participates in the Next Generation Series of the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, and curates Galatea's summer chamber music week during which the students selected for this program receive opportunities to play side-by-side with accomplished artists. He continues to play and perform in various chamber music festivals across the country. Spence is passionate about performing chamber music, health and nutrition, connecting with nature, swimming in the ocean regardless of the time of year, and spending time with family.
Hoorig Taline Poochikian, Violin
Armenian- American violinist Hoorig Taline Poochikian has performed at a number of prestigious venues across North America including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the National Arts Center in Canada. She received her doctoral degree in violin performance in May 2020 from Stony Brook University studying with Hagai Shaham. She also earned degrees from University of Maryland studying with Dr. James Stern, and the University of Ottawa studying with Yehonatan Berick. An avid chamber musician, Hoorig has collaborated with members of the Emerson String Quartet, Avalon String Quartet, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, pianist Christina Dahl and composer Vache Sharafyan. She made her live radio broadcast debut on Classical KING FM in Seattle, performing with pianist Oksana Ejokina. With a special passion for education, Hoorig currently teaches privately and at several music schools in the DC metro area. She also maintains an active career as a freelance chamber musician performing at various concert series around the country.
Dave Phillips, Viola
Originally from upstate New York, violist Dave Phillips plays in the viola sections of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Western Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, and as Associate Principal Violist of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra. Before moving to North Carolina, he held the principal chairs of the Williamport (PA) Symphony Orchestra and the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra.
As a chamber musician, Dave has performed locally with A la Carte Greensboro, Catchfire Collective, and the Faculty Artist Recital Series at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has coached chamber music at the Adult Chamber Music Workshop at UNC Chapel Hill and the Harbor Front Music Festival in Port Jefferson, NY. Dave has taught music theory and viola at UNCG and music theory at Elon University. Every day, he is thankful to his past viola teachers Scott Rawls, Tim Deighton, and Shelly Tramposh as he maintains his own private teaching studio of violinists and violists.
Dave holds degrees and certificates in viola performance and music theory from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Penn State University, and SUNY Potsdam. He lives in Greensboro with his wife, Kate, their cats, Tucker and Nico, and their dogs, Petunia and Leo. When not playing chamber music, Dave performs as the vocalist for the Greensboro-based screamo band, ythgrp.
Emma Hays Johnson, Cello
A native of Central Virginia, cellist Emma Hays Johnson is a performing artist, private instructor, and co-founder of the original concert series, Empath Concerts. Currently residing near the D.C. and Baltimore areas, she performs chamber concerts regularly with Washington Musica Viva, SoloX, and Galatea Chamber Music and has worked alongside artists such as two time grammy winning violinist from the Attacca Quartet, Domenic Salerni as well as Michael Buble, Il Divo, and the Transiberian Orchestra. During her Quartet Fellowship at UMass Amherst she had the opportunity to be coached by members of world renowned ensembles including the Ying Quartet, the Dover Quartet, and the Juilliard Quartet. Through her invitations to be a Next Generation Alumni Artist at East Carolina University, she has worked alongside Xiao-Dong Wang, Hye-Jin Kim, Ara Gregorian, Colin Carr, Emanuel Gruber, and Raman Ramakrishnan. She has been a member and sub of several notable orchestras including the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Apollo Orchestra, and the American Festival Pops Orchestra.
Prior to receiving her second Masters in Music Performance at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst under the tutelage of Edward Arron, she held the position of adjunct professor at Beaufort County Community College in North Carolina. Emma Hays studied at Converse College and George Mason University under the tutelage of Kenneth Law where she received her Bachelor's Degree, and she graduated with her first Master’s Degree from East Carolina University under the instruction of Emanuel Gruber. Emma Hays likes to spend her free time outdoors rock climbing, backpacking and backcountry camping.
Galatea Chamber Music is a vibrant organization dedicated to the art of chamber music. We bring exceptional musicians to the East Coast to perform and share their passion with our community. Our mission is to empower our community through the joy and and inspiration of chamber music, creating memorable performances that enrich and engage our audience. We are committed to fostering a love for chamber music through dynamic performances and innovative community outreach programs. These programs are designed to inspire and educate the younger generation and the broader community, making chamber music accessible and impactful for all.