About Project String Quartet
Project String Quartet is a vibrant new initiative that combines world-class training for young professional string quartets, with invaluable educational and performance opportunities in schools across the UK, utilising the string quartet as a powerful tool to educate and inspire. Our projects places three Young Professional Quartets and nine International Artists in schools for concerts, masterclasses, workshop presentations, and chamber music coaching.
We believe in providing young people with an engaging and lasting educational experience, promoting an appreciation and enjoyment of chamber music for students of all ages and musical backgrounds. All school projects offer a wide range of activities that can be tailor-made to fit the needs of the school and its community, enhancing the teaching of music departments to boost the learning of all students.
Our Mission
To bring chamber music to as wide a range of ages and backgrounds as possible.
To support educational institutions and their music departments with exciting programmes.
To show that music is fun and approachable.
To show the power of live music to move and excite.
To demystify and reinforce musical concepts, breaking them down into the fundamental elements of music.
To introduce and explore a wide range of different musical styles.
To encourage listening and concentration skills.
Testimonials
“Repton School is delighted to host Project String Quartet, and it will clearly support our commitment to developing young string players. PSQ will work with pupil across our Prep and Senior Schools, inspiring beginner players in our whole class string lessons for year 3 as well delivering world class masterclasses to our elite players. Meeting and hearing inspirational players will clearly make a lasting impression on our pupils.“
Oliver Walker - Director of Music, Repton School
PSQ Three Day Visit
September 13-15 2021
“[Project String Quartet] was brilliant at getting the children to talk and ask questions and the Quartet were wonderful, played so beautifully but were warm and friendly and so approachable with the children.“
Margi Jervoise - Two Moors Festival
PSQ Two Day Visit
30 September - 1 October 2021
PAST PROJECTS
Project String Quartet is based on many years of experience presenting educational projects across the UK and internationally, which provided invaluable opportunities and experiences for both students and staff members.
“We gained teaching materials that we can refer back to for an entire term, which has been invaluable for both our students and teachers.”
“Thank you for what you have done for our children over the past few weeks, they were privileged to have you work with them.”
Hear from the students
The students of a school are at the centre of all of Project String Quartet’s work, and we value their reactions to our visits!
“I enjoyed the performance because of the way the quartet didn’t just play song after song. They stopped and explained the music.”
“The thing I liked most about the quartet coming here is all the different music that really made me think about flying. I felt so light that I was floating in the air. It was the nicest feeling I had in my whole life.”
The Making of PSQ
A tried and tested model
Project String Quartet’s founder, Graham Oppenheimer, has been working with string quartets in schools for many years to share their skills with string players and students. As Artistic Director for the Leicester International String Quartet Series, Graham created events that connected with the community through going into local schools with the Van Kujik Quartet; creating lively and engaging sessions for students that incorporated everything from interactive musical games to popular TV tunes like Match of the Day.
Listen to BBC Radio Leicester's Matt Smith’s article on the Leicester International String Quartet series, in which Graham Oppenheimer and the Paris based Van Kujik Quartet performed at several local schools, including Babington College in Beaumont Leys.
Nicolas Van Kuijk - violin
Sylvain Favre-Bulle - violin
Emmanuel François - viola
Anthony Kondo - cello
FIrst Hand Experience
Project String Quartet’s range of activities are based on many years of refinement and collaboration to create a model that places the student’s learning and creativity at the heart of every project, inclusive of all ages and musical backgrounds.
Working with around 25,000 students of his educational career, Graham Oppenheimer is an experienced chamber musician and teacher, believing that the string quartet is itself an instrument that can be used to not only to develop technical mastery but enhance creativity in students.
Meet The Team
Graham Oppenheimer
Founder & Director
Graham is an international musician and viola player, dedicating his professional career to teaching and performing chamber music. He believes that the string quartet is a powerful tool to educate and inspire, thus creating Project String Quartet. The initiative combines Graham’s expertise, experience and contacts for presenting chamber music in education and the community, leading hundreds of school workshops to over 25,000 students, creating vibrant and engaging opportunities for young professional musicians and students across the UK.
Matthew Lomax
Operations Manager
Matthew is involved with the daily operations of Project String Quartet, including design, planning and management to ensure that all events are of an extremely high standard for all musicians and participants. Bringing his experience as a composer and music facilitator across the UK to Project String Quartet, he is passionate about creating community music and education initiatives that benefit the wellbeing and personal growth of people of all ages.