Draft:Cong Quartet

The Cong Quartet is a string quartet from Hong Kong which was founded in the United States, and based in the Netherlands. Formed at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, they are the first full time professional string quartet in Hong Kong that has been recognised with international awards and have collaborated with world-renowned musicians.

History
In 2015, Cong Quartet was formed at the Jacobs School of Music, where they were one of the earlier groups from the String Quartet Intensive Seminar with the multiple Grammy Awards winning Pacifica Quartet and Atar Arad. Members of the quartet received education from across the world and were graduated from Eastman School of Music, Bard College, New England Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Royal Academy of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Toho Gakuen School of Music, and Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon, thus providing the multi-cultural diversity in the quartet despite being an All-Asian ensemble.

They then soon participated in various notable chamber music institutions such as Robert Mann String Quartet Institute and Juilliard String Quartet Seminar in New York, and have received tutelage from the likes of Brentano Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, Dover Quartet, Miro Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, Shanghai Quartet, Shmuel Ashkenasi during their time in the US.

Cong Quartet returned to their hometown Hong Kong in 2018 and started off their time at Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with the guidance of Ivan Chan, former first violinist of the Miami String Quartet, during their time in Hong Kong, they were nominated at the CASH Golden Sail Music Awards. The quartet then started achieving success on the international stage, winning top prizes at various chamber music competitions including the top prize and Adolfo Betti Award at the Virtuoso & Belcanto’s Chamber Music Competition in Italy, International Music Competition Triomphe de l’Art in Brussels , Salzburg Mozart International Chamber Competition in Tokyo.

Shortly before the pandemic, Cong Quartet joined as part of the Nederlandse Strijkkwartet Academie in 2019 and began their time in Europe. They are a member of the Le Dimore del Quartetto, Musethica , participated in the European Chamber Music Academy, and have studied with members of Alban Berg Quartet, Danel Quartet, Ébène Quartet, Ysaÿe Quartet among the others.

The quartet has previously held residencies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong , the Musique à Flaine, the composer forum at University of North Texas, and is a musical partner of Domaine de La Garde at Bourg-en-Bresse. In recent years, the quartet has made appearances with numerous well-renowned musicians including Enrico Pace, Danel Quartet, Ysaÿe Quartet, Shannon Lee (violinist), Joshua Bell, Yuri Bashmet, Adrien La Marca and Sterling Elliott.

Origin of Name
"CONG" was a combination of the quartet founding members’ last names that allude to Hong “Kong” where the members grew up and played together since their teenage. Due to their name, Cong Quartet is being perceived as cultural ambassadors for Hong Kong.