About the Quartet
This exhilarating and beloved quartet has garnered critical praise worldwide for more than twenty years. They formed when they were just teenagers studying at the Jerusalem Academy Middle School of Music and Dance in Israel. Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2023, the quartet serves as the Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where they direct the chamber music program and present a concert series in addition to maintaining a busy touring schedule in the United States and abroad.

Alexandra Kazovsky, violin

Alexandra Kazovsky, Associate Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, pursued initial studies with Ludmila Feldman at the Rubin Conservatory and the Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem/Israel. She received ongoing scholarship support from both the Veron Foundation and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF). Ms. Kazovsky is a graduate of the “Young Musicians Unit” (now the David Goldmann Program for young artists) of the Jerusalem Music Centre.

In addition to her extensive performance experience with the Ariel Quartet, Ms. Kazovsky performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Yad Harif Chamber Orchestra, and won the “Kol Ha Musica” (Israel Broadcasting Authority) Young Artists Competition. Having received her Masters of Music degree from the New England Conservatory (NEC) while studying with Miriam Fried, Ms. Kazovsky graduated from NEC’s Professional String Quartet Studies program, during which she continued her violin studies with Donald Weilerstein. Ms. Kazovsky currently plays on a violin by Francesco Ruggieri generously on loan from the William A. Schwatz program for instrument loan of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.

Gershon Gerchikov, violin

Associate Professor of Violin and Chamber Music at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Israeli violinist Gershon Gerchikov began his violin studies under the guidance of Daniel Fradkin, Moshe Gershovitz, and Ludmila Feldman at both the Rubin Conservatory and the Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem. Since 1994, Mr. Gerchikov received scholarship support from both the Veron Foundation and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF). While still in Israel, Mr. Gerchikov performed with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Yad Harif Chamber Orchestra and the St. Petersburg Radio Orchestra, and was a prizewinner in the Violinists-Composers Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia (2001). Mr. Gerchikov is a graduate of the “Young Musicians Unit” (now the David Goldmann Program for young artists) of the Jerusalem Music Centre.

Mr. Gerchikov studied at the New England Conservatory initially with Lucy Chapman as well as Miriam Fried, and graduated from NEC’s Professional String Quartet Studies program, during which he continued his violin studies with Miriam Fried and Donald Weilerstein. Mr. Gerchikov plays on a violin by Pietro Guarneri on generous loan from the William A. Schwatz program for instrument loan of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.

Jan Grüning, violin

Jan Grüning serves as tenured Associate Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He completed his own studies at the Musikhochschule Lübeck with Barbara Westphal and the New England Conservatory of Music with Kim Kashkashian. He participated and performed at various festivals both in Europe and North America – such as Orford/Canada, the Verbier Festival, the IMS Prussia Cove and the International Tibor Varga Academy in Sion, receiving further impulses in working with artists such as Yuri Bashmet, Robert Levin and Lars Anders Tomter. Sessions with Ferenc Rados have had a great impact on his development as well.

Having been awarded the Marie-Luise Imbusch Foundation prize in 2005, a prestigious scholarship of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) followed enabling him to study abroad. An avid Chamber music enthusiast, Mr. Grüning performed with musicians such as Itzhak Perlman, Alisa Weilerstein, Menahem Pressler and Daishin Kashimoto; concerts of his have been broadcasted on both TV (ABC News, Phoenix TV) and Radio (NDR, Deutschlandradio Kultur). Jan plays on a Viola made by German luthier Haat-Hedlef Uilderks.

Amit Even–Tov, cello
A native of Israel, Ms. Even-Tov serves as tenured Associate Professor of Violoncello and Chamber Music at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. She began her studies with Sabina Frankenberg, Uzi Weisel, Hillel Zori, Michael Homizer, and Zvi Plesser in Israel and was awarded First Prize at the Paul Ben-Haim Competition in 2001, Third Prize at the “Kol Ha Musica” (Israel Broadcasting Authority) Young Artists Competition in 2002, as well as the First Prize in the special Jerusalem Academy Competition in 2003. Appearances as a soloist include engagements with the Jerusalem Academy Orchestra, the Israel Stage Orchestra, and in a live broadcast on Israel Radio with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Even-Tov is a graduate of the “Young Musicians Unit” (now the David Goldmann Program for young artists) of the Jerusalem Music Centre.

Ms. Even-Tov received scholarship support from both the Veron Foundation and the American-Israel Cultural Foundation (AICF). Having previously studied with Paul Katz at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Ms. Even-Tov graduated from NEC’s Professional String Quartet Studies program, during which she continued her cello studies with Laurence Lesser. Ms. Even-Tov plays on a 1849 instrument by J.B. Vuillaume, on generous loan from a private collection.