OAKLAND - The members of Friction Quartet (Douglas Machiz, Kevin Rogers, and Otis Harriel) are thrilled to welcome Lucia Kobza as their new violist. Kobza is a doctoral candidate at Stony Brook University and a talented player with prodigious technical ability. Her considerate approach to working in a chamber group, wealth of experience performing a wide variety of musical styles, and passion for music education make her a fitting addition to the ensemble.

 

“We are so inspired by Lucia’s creative artistry, depth of expression, and deftness as a chamber musician,” says Rogers. “The passionate performance and fearless energy she brings to our quartet sound is thrilling and will help us flourish as an ensemble and as individuals.”

 

“I’m elated to be joining the Friction Quartet and moving to the dynamic city of San Francisco. I can't wait to begin making music with Doug, Kevin, and Otis, three wonderfully refined artists and sincere, thoughtful and empathetic people,“ says Kobza.

​

Friction Quartet also thanks their departing colleague, Taija Warbelow, for her many years of dedication and hard work. They are so grateful for all she contributed to the Quartet— as a performer, administratively, as an advocate for new music, and a friend— and wish her success and happiness in all her future endeavors.

 

Kobza’s first appearance as violist with Friction Quartet will be on August 16, 2019 at Old First Concerts in San Francisco.

​

​

 

About Lucia Kobza:

​

Lucia Kobza received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Hochschule der Künste Bern, Switzerland, with distinction. Following her mentor Professor Ida Bieler to the United States, she studied under her tutelage at UNCSA and was honored with the UNCSA Graduate Excellence in Performance Award both for her Master’s degree and Professional Artist Certificate. Lucia is currently a doctoral candidate at Stony Brook University in New York in the Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) program. She is pursuing a double major in violin and viola performance with Emerson String Quartet’s violinist Philip Setzer and violist Lawrence Dutton. 

 

As a member of UNCSA’s Giannini String Quartet and participant of UNCSA’s Chrysalis Chamber Music Institute, she enjoyed exciting performance opportunities such as playing in master classes at the Lincoln Center in New York and performing with Silk Road Ensemble’s Pipa virtuoso Wu Man. At Stony Brook University Lucia was a member of the Steinem String Quartet, which was honored to be chosen to participate in Philip Setzer’s String Quartet Intensive as well as the Emerson String Quartet Institute. The quartet had several thrilling performance opportunities, such as premiering Emerson violinist Eugene Drucker’s “Levertov Settings” for string quartet and voice at Carnegie Hall. 

 

Lucia has held orchestral positions as Co-Principal second violin in the Greensboro Symphony, Assistant Concertmaster of the Western-Piedmont Symphony and as a member of the Winston-Salem Symphony. Lucia was 1st Prize winner of the MANC Competition, NC ASTA Competition, UNCSA Concerto Competition, Elizabeth Harper Vaughn Concerto Competition, and was Audience Choice Award Winner in the Rosen-Schaffel Competition 2015. 

 

Lucia is not only an avid chamber musician but also a dedicated teacher. She served as Prof. Bieler's teaching assistant at UNCSA and also worked as a teaching assistant at Stony Brook University teaching undergraduate violin and chamber music, as well as serving as the violin studio coordinator. While at UNCSA Lucia was highly engaged in the community of Winston-Salem, helping out at the Salvation Army's Academy for Music and Arts, teaching at the Community Music School of Winston-Salem, and working as a teaching assistant at the UNCSA summer strings festival in 2015 and 2016. In New York, she leads a private studio and teaches at the Joyous School of Music.

 

Lucia enjoys spending her free time outdoors, going for walks and admiring nature, as well as playing bluegrass fiddle in the Deep Roots Ensemble. Lucia is excited to be joining the Friction Quartet in San Francisco in the Fall of 2019.

 

Photos of Lucia Kobza: here

 

* new ensemble photos forthcoming, expected early July 2019

​

Download PDF Press Release here