The Presto Quartet
Presto Quartet are a CSM group of transition year students, coached by Christopher Marwood, who won the second prize in the Feis Ceoil Junior Chamber Music Competition in March 2016. They have been invited to perform at the Feis Ceoil Young Platform Concert in the National Concert Hall on 12 September 2016.
Kate Fleming and Laura Healy, violins
Stephen Kelleher, viola
Alina Mayer Whitla, cello
The Presto Quartet was formed in 2012 at the CIT Cork School of Music and had the privilege of being coached by Adrian Petcu until 2015, and by Christopher Marwood since September 2015.
They are members of the Cork Youth Orchestra, with which they recently performed in the Festival of Youth Orchestras in Tuscany in July 2016. Concerts took place in Florence, Perugia and Montecatini.
Members of the quartet participated in summer chamber music courses in Aravon School, Bray, Co. Dublin as well as ConCorda 2015 and 2016. In 2016, they were the highest placed string quartet in the Feis Ceoil Under 17 Junior Chamber Music Cup, winning the Silver medal (2nd place).
The Presto Quartet have given performances in a variety of settings, such as Cork Culture Night, a coffee concert for the SMEI conference, CSM Open Days and as part of the IAYO Festival of Youth Orchestras in the National Concert Hall (Music in the Foyer). In addition, they regularly play in the community, and have brought live music to St. Luke’s retirement home and St. Finbarr’s hospital in Cork. They have also performed for fundraising events for the Crumlin’s Children’s Hospital and ‘Dress for Success’ charity, among others. Following these events, they were invited to perform at the AIB 100th Anniversary reception by the regional Director of AIB. They also performed as a quartet in promotional concerts ahead of Cork Youth Orchestra performances.