The Cecilia Quartet announces the appointment of cellist Rachel Desoer

Posted by Cecilia String Quartet
Friday, 10 September 2010

This week, the founding cellist of the Cecilia String Quartet, Rebecca Wenham, officially resigned her position with the quartet in order to relocate to California and pursue a number of personal projects. Rebecca departs on a high following the quartet’s success as first prize winner at the Tenth Banff International String Quartet Competition (BISQC).

Cellist Rachel Desoer will join the Cecilia in Toronto in their new residency as Quartet Fellows at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music. The members of the Cecilia Quartet will make their first appearance on stage this season in Toronto as soloists with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and Maestro Uri Mayer in R. Murray Schafer’s Four Forty at the Koerner Hall as part of Nuit Blanche on October 2 at 8:00 p.m.

Violinist Sarah Nemantallah writes, “While we are saddened to lose our friend and colleague Rebecca, we are full of optimism having found Rachel. Rachel comes to the Quartet with a rich history of chamber music experience, and as she studied with many of the same mentors as the rest of the Cecilia, we speak the same musical language.”

Barry Shiffman, executive director of BISQC, states, “Changes in personnel are an inevitable reality of quartet life, and it just so happens that the timing of the Cecilia’s change comes after such a momentous win. We are, however, pleased to see such a seamless transition, and are looking forward to working with and supporting the Cecilia Quartet in their career development as part of their first-place win at BISQC.”

The Banff International String Quartet Competition

The Banff International String Quartet Competition first-place prize package includes $25,000 (CDN) and extensive concert tours over three years, a Banff Centre residency including the recording and production of a CD, and a quartet of custom bows by renowned bow maker François Malo. The Competition has also recently created an endowment of over $1.3 million dollars with the generous support of a private gift and federal government matching funds to support an extensive career development program. The Freeze Family Career Development Fund will allow for concert touring support, new music commissioning funds, residency and educational activity, and publicity and communications support, all in support of our BISQC laureates. It is the only such program of its kind in Canada, and dramatically improves the level of support BISQC provides for emerging careers in chamber music.

About Rachel Desoer

Rachel Desoer is a cellist and chamber musician. She has attended the Juilliard School, McGill University, and received her bachelor of music degree from Oberlin College. Rachel has received many awards and much acclaim through competitions such as the 5th Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. Her performing career includes recitals, chamber concerts, recordings, and orchestral tours in North America, Europe, Australia, and China. She joins the Cecilia Quartet this Fall.

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