GAIA Quartet CMC Artists in Residence: IN TIME album launch event

Aspen Barker, Yi Charice Tang, Violins; Simone Cartales, Viola; Rosalyn Taylor, Cello
About this Event

IN TIME (2024) - Hsiu-Ping Patrick Wu
Blueprint (2016) - Caroline Shaw
Diptych #1: art as miniature (2025) - Michelle Lorimer
Miami (2025) - Aspen Barker
Dawn (2024) - Salome Yichi Zhang
Cuimhne (2019) - Christine Hedden
String Quartet No. 3 “at the still point, there the dance is” (2024) - Hsiu-Ping Patrick Wu
Carrot Revolution (2015) - Gabriella Smith

GAIA Quartet is an all-women string quartet dedicated to commissioning and performing works by living composers. Founded in 2022 at the Longy School of Music of Bard College by Aspen Barker, Yi Charice Tang, Simone Cartales, and Rosalyn Taylor, GAIA Quartet was formed out of a shared passion for bringing contemporary music to modern audiences. In 2023, GAIA Quartet was named Graduate Chamber Fellows at Longy School of Music of Bard College and served as the Quartet-in-Residence with the Composition Department.

Despite the vast amount of innovative music being written today, much of it remains unheard by general audiences. This realization shaped GAIA Quartet’s mission: to make new music more accessible, engaging, and relevant to listeners beyond the classical music world. The quartet’s name reflects this mission. The name “GAIA” comes from the Greek goddess Gaia, the personification of Mother Earth. She is powerful yet often overlooked—much like the composers GAIA Quartet champions. Gaia’s story resonated with the quartet as a symbol of resilience, transformation, and creation—values that define both their music-making and their dedication to contemporary composers. The name also represents the diversity within the group, honoring different backgrounds and artistic perspectives while embracing the strength to persist, evolve, and create. GAIA Quartet continues to push for change in classical music. By commissioning new works, collaborating with composers, and rethinking how audiences engage with contemporary music, they are committed to making new music more accessible, meaningful, and relevant.