Haddon Kay | Luiz Venturelli | James Baik | Sydney Lee
“The Galvin Cello Quartet makes cellos sing with full aural potential.”
-Third Coast Review
Composed of members from China, Brazil, South Korea, and the United States, the Galvin Cello Quartet burst onto the scene after capturing the Silver Medal at the 2021 Fischoff Competition, followed by winning the 2022 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and joining the Concert Artists Guild roster. Cellists James Baik, Sydney Lee, Haddon Kay, and Luiz Fernando Venturelli met as students at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music in the studio of acclaimed pedagogue Hans Jørgen Jensen, and the Quartet takes its name from the Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall at Bienen.
With their untamable desire to create, change, and ultimately bring joy through music, the Galvin Cello Quartet is more excited than ever to explore and expand the possibilities of the cello quartet. Using the limitless range of a cello ensemble, the group’s mission is to bring together new works from diverse cultural backgrounds while seeking to establish the cello quartet as a core part of the classical music world.
Recent and upcoming highlights include performances and residencies at Bravo! Vail, Ravinia, Ascent International Cello Festival, Newport Classical, Merkin Hall, and the Walton Arts Center.
The Galvin Cello Quartet embodies virtuosity, with each member bringing their own artistic nuance and acclaimed background to the ensemble.
Haddon Kay first debuted with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago as a finalist for the Chicago Symphony Young Artist Competition. Most recently, he won the 2021 Northwestern University Concerto/Aria Competition, after which he performed the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra.
Luiz Fernando Venturelli made his solo debut at the São Paulo Hall at the age of 9 and has since been featured as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the São Paulo State Symphony, the Goiás Philharmonic, and the Bahia Symphony. He has recently been a prizewinner in the Sphinx Competition, the Samuel and Elinor Thaviu String Competition, and the New York International Artists Association.
James Baik has been described as “an undeniable authority,” and possesses “a real warmth emerging in lyricism… and displays mixture of sonic mastery and interiority,” by Belgian newspaper Le Soir, after his astounding performance at the 2021 Queen Elisabeth competition. Recently, James was a finalist at the 2019 Stulberg International String Competition and would go on to receive the first prize at the prestigious Irving M. Klein International Competition. He made his debut solo appearance in 2015 with the Houston Civic Symphony Orchestra and the Clear Lake Symphony in Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No. 1.
Sydney Lee captured 1st prize at the 2022 Washington International Competition and 2nd prize at the Classic Strings International Competition in Dubai, as well as 1st prize at the 10th Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition. She has performed in venues such as the Kennedy Center Palladium Center for the Performing Arts, Pittsburgh Symphony’s Heinz Hall, and Verizon Hall.
The Galvin Cello Quartet is sponsored by Louise K. Smith.
