The Ciompi Quartet Welcomes A New Member And A New Sound

WUNC News | By Frank Stasio,

Published November 16, 2018 at 12:12 PM EST

The Ciompi Quartet is known for its technical brilliance and for keeping a long-standing tradition alive. The group was founded more than 50 years ago at Duke University, and is comprised of Duke professors. This year they welcomed a new member for the first time in 23 years: Caroline Stinson joins the group on cello after her long-running career with the Lark Quartet in New York.

The Ciompi Quartet join host Frank Stasio in our studio for conversation and live music.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with Stinson along with Jonathan Bagg (viola), Eric Pritchard (violin) and Hsiao-Mei Ku (violin). They are joined by special guest singer Eliza Bagg. The Ciompi perform free concerts this Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. at Duke’s Rubenstein Arts Center in Durham.

Frank Stasio

Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.

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Laura Pellicer

Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.

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