Quartet Novalis is a period-performance ensemble based in New York City. Made up of Eliana Estrada, Ela Kodžas, Annemarie Schubert, and Luka Stefanović, the group seeks to bring a fresh perspective to the string quartet repertoire by uncovering old concepts of sound, rhetoric, and musical understanding while also reshaping audience expectations of the string quartet and its 18th/19th-century repertoire. The members of Quartet Novalis have an attitude of curiosity and exploration, thinking of themselves as musical time travelers. By performing on historically-appropriate instruments and engaging historical methods, the group draws out subtle and highly nuanced textures and impressions while breathing life into repertoire that has fallen by the wayside. Drawing inspiration from their namesake, the 18th-century German polymath and philosopher Novalis whose beliefs centered around dissolving the barriers between language and the surrounding world, the ensemble views music, as language, as a living organism that not only serves as a means of communication but also as a creative and magical force with potential to transcend our reality and borders. Quartet Novalis was in residence as the Academy Quartet at the Carmel Bach Festival (2024), was a semi-finalist in the International Van Wassenaer Competition (Netherlands, 2025), and has performed throughout New York City, at the Boston Early Music Fringe Festival (2025), and at the Utrecht Fringe Festival (Netherlands, 2025). This upcoming season, the ensemble has been selected as Pegasus Rising Artists and will perform for audiences throughout upstate New York.
Summer Chamber Music Workshop Participants
“I learned how to listen, how to be helpful, and how to be accepting at Apple Hill.”
“I liked the opportunity to play chamber music with talented musicians and excellent coaches in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.”
