Since its founding in 1946, the Juilliard String Quartet has been one of America’s premiere classical music ensembles. It has also comprised four men — until one year ago, when Astrid Schween replaced retiring cellist Joel Krosnick. In many ways, it is a comfortable fit. Schween spent two decades in the Lark Quartet before pursuing a solo career. She also earned her degrees at the Juilliard School, where she studied for a time with a founding member of the quartet, Robert Mann. Nevertheless, she understands the symbolic significance of her hiring. “Whenever glass ceilings are broken, it’s a big deal,” she said in a phone conversation with the Independent. “I see it as a sign of real progress for us as a country. That said, my daily preoccupation quickly moved from that to, ‘How do you want to play this phrase?’”
Schween and her colleagues, including former UCSB professor Ronald Copes, will perform Saturday, November 11, 8 p.m., at the Lobero Theatre in a CAMA recital. During our interview, she talked about her love of the quartet repertoire and the process of fitting in.
Was it intimidating to enter such an established group? It could have been, but my colleagues were so welcoming and kind. At no time have I felt I had to fight to get my ideas through. Even in the audition process, everyone made an effort to create a comfortable environment, so I could be at my best and show them what I was able to do. There was a lot of mutual checking out — a lot of nonverbal communication.