JUILLIARD STRING QUARTET DEBUTS WITH
NEW VIOLINIST LEONARD FU
Program Includes World Premiere of New Work for JSQ Written by Fu
Thursday, December 4, at 7:30 PM at Alice Tully Hall
[NEW YORK, November 11, 2025]—The Juilliard String Quartet (JSQ) marks an important moment in its storied history with the New York debut of second violinist Leonard Fu, at its annual fall recital on Thursday, December 4, at 7:30 p.m. at Alice Tully Hall. This performance introduces Fu as the newest member of the renowned ensemble and signals the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Quartet’s distinguished legacy.
Joining the JSQ for this occasion are guest artists violist Catherine Cho and cellist Marcy Rosen.
The December 4 program offers a broad musical arc spanning more than 150 years. It begins with one of Johannes Brahms’s string quartets and concludes with Arnold Schoenberg’s sextet Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night). Between these works, the Quartet performs György Kurtág’s Six Moments Musicaux (2005) and the world premiere of Popular Dances, a new composition by Fu written for his colleagues in the JSQ.
A Juilliard alumnus and committed advocate for contemporary music, Fu joined the Quartet earlier this year following the retirement of longtime member Ronald Copes. The 2025–26 season marks his first full year with the ensemble, which continues to define excellence in chamber music performance after nearly eight decades.
“It has been a joy to welcome Leonard into the JSQ,” said members Molly Carr, Astrid Schween, and Areta Zhulla. “His energy, enthusiasm, and musical insight have been both inspiring and invigorating. As a deeply thoughtful chamber musician, Leonard brings rich perspective and curiosity to our daily work. We look forward to our first full season together and to many years of meaningful collaboration.”
Fu describes Popular Dances as a single-movement work that unites rhythms and gestures from a variety of dance traditions—both historical and contemporary—into a cohesive and expressive whole.
“It’s an honor to contribute to the JSQ’s tradition of having composer performers amongst its members and to combine the old with the new,” said Fu. “Popular Dances is celebratory in nature—a reflection on movement, community, and the diversity of ideas that continue to shape artistic evolution. Its lighter, more playful spirit complements the dance-like finale of the Brahms and provides balance to the deeper contrasts elsewhere in the program.”
The Juilliard String Quartet has established an unparalleled legacy spanning nearly eight decades. The ensemble’s current members continue to embody its enduring commitment to both the continued celebration of the classical quartet canon and the advancement of the art form through the annual commissioning and performance of new works. Throughout the year, the Quartet maintains an active international presence, performing and teaching across the globe, engaging in regular collaborations with both up-and-coming young musicians and many of the field’s most beloved renowned artists and ensembles, leading masterclasses and coachings, and further enriching its acclaimed recorded legacy.
Tickets are available at juilliard.edu.