Anthea Kreston
I sometimes just need to pinch myself. How did I get so lucky? I live in Corvallis, Oregon, teach at the University of Oregon, and am first violinist of Oregon’s Delgani Quartet, "the state’s finest chamber ensemble" (The Oregonian). I lived for years in Berlin, Germany, where I was the only American violinist to hold a position in major European string quartet, Germany’s Artemis Quartet.
I travelled the world, performing on some of the most legendary stages a person could dream of, from Carnegie Hall (New York) to Wigmore (London) - from the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) to Seoul.
While living in Berlin, I was Professor at the Universität der Künste Berlin, the largest university of arts in Europe, established in 1696. Faculty at UdK have included Paul Hindmith, Joseph Joachim, Arnold Schoenberg, and Clara Schumann. I also loved being a Master Teacher at the Queen Elizabeth Music Chapel in Brussels, an elite international boarding school which consistently produces world-class musicians. I enjoy returning to teach and perform at the Curtis Institute of Music, my Alma Mater. My teachers include Ida Kavafian, Shmuel Ashkenasi, the Emerson Quartet and Isaac Stern. I think about each and every one of them every day.
An avid writer, I have published in classical publications such as Strings and Chamber Music Magazine, as well as penning a weekly music blog for Slipped Disc which clocked in as one of the top-5 most read music blogs internationally. I have produced and hosted a variety of podcasts (notably a series of podcasts for Berlin’s Pierre Boulez Saal for their Quartet Festival), and curated the Fortnightly Music Book Club, which brought music lovers, musicologists, performers and authors together for in-depth discussions. My recent release on Warner Classics of Shostakovich Quartets and Piano Quintet with the Artemis Quartet and pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja won the Diapason d'Or, France’s highest honor, and Germany’s Echo Award (the equivalent to a Grammy award). The documentary "the Neverending Quartet" follows the Artemis Quartet for a year on the road, exploring the intricacies of life in a quartet.
The San Diego Reader said "...Anthea is a soloist of the Heifetz- Shaham-Vengerov caliber, whose musical instincts could make even a mere bagatelle thrill the soul and stir the senses to a frenzy." I made my solo debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and won awards from Chamber Music America for my groundbreaking work with abused children and AIDS patients in Hartford, CT. I was featured in the New York Times and Think Out Loud for my virtual work with students during the pandemic. I hold a B.A. in Women’s Studies from Cleveland State University and a performance degree from the Curtis Institute of Music.
But actually the only thing that really matters is that I have an incredible husband and two funny and generous daughters, and I love to grow tomatoes and pet guinea pigs. If I didn’t have terrible allergies I think I would have been a veterinarian.
