Real Vocal String Quartet is a string-instrument and vocal ensemble who compose, arrange, improvise and perform music a wide range of musical genres. The group of classically trained musicians combine world music, jazz, pop, and international folk with traditional chamber music in innovative ways.

History

RVSQ was formed in 2005 by Irene Sazer, previously a founding member of the

Turtle Island Quartet The Turtle Island Quartet is a string quartet that plays hybrids of jazz, classical, and rock music. The group was formed in 1985 by David Balakrishnan, Darol Anger, and Mark Summer in San Francisco. They released their first album on Windha ...

. She brought together conservatory-trained professional musicians, including Sazer and Alisa Rose on violin, Matthias McIntire on viola, and Jessica Ivry on cello. Dina Maccabee was the original violist and played for eight years. In 2010 the group released a self-titled CD on Flower Note Records, leading the Christian Science Monitor to compare them to the

Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary class ...

In 2011, Real Vocal String Quartet recorded with Feist on her album, ''Metals,'' and subsequently performed with her in Canada and the United States, including the

Coachella Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. I ...

and the

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with

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. In 2012, the group was chosen by American Voices and the U.S. Department of State to tour Eastern Europe as cultural ambassadors through the American Music Abroad program. The group performed and collaborated with musicians in each country. RSVQ's second album, titled ''Four Little Sisters,'' was released in October 2012.Rock Paper Scissors - Real Vocal String Quartet, Four Little Sisters - Album Review
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References

{{Authority control American classical musicians American musical quartets Musical groups from San Francisco Musical groups established in 2005