INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED as one of the world's finest quartets, the American String Quartet celebrated its 30th anniversary during the 2005–2006 season. Highlighting the anniversary was the quartet's debut in a new series of recordings on the Arabesque label, including quartets of composer Richard Danielpour. Highlights of their 2006–2007 season include performances with Guillermo Figueroa, Lydia Artimiw and Edgar Meyer, and a tour of Europe. The quartet was honored to perform a series of retrospective concerts celebrating the Naumburg Foundation's 80th anniversary, performed by previous winners of the Naumburg Award. Resident quartet at the Aspen Music Festival since 1974 and the Manhattan School of Music in New York since 1984, the American has also served as resident quartet at the Taos School of Music (1979 to 1998), the Peabody Conservatory, and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The Quartet's diverse activities have also included numerous international radio and television broadcasts, tours of Asia, and performances with the New York City Ballet, the Montreal Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Internationally active as soloist and chamber musician, additional honors include England's Record of the Year Award and Ensemble of the Year from Musical America in 1997. In addition to his busy schedule as a performer, he has given master classes in Germany, France, Canada, and Argentina, and continues to serve on the jury of the Van Cliburn, Queen Elisabeth, and Artur Rubenstein competitions. Menahem Pressler, founding member and pianist of the Beaux Arts Trio, has established himself among the world's most distinguished and honored musicians, with a career that spans over five decades.
