Album by CCM faculty featured in the New York Times

UC's College-Conservatory of Music is home to an international faculty of dedicated educators who are also celebrated performers and arts professionals in their own right, and four of those faculty members were recently highlighted in a New York Times roundup of notable new classical music albums.

Entitled "5 Classical Music Albums You Can Listen to Right Now," the article spotlights the new album by the Ariel Quartet, which has served as CCM's string quartet-in-residence since 2012. The ensemble is comprised of four CCM faculty members: Alexandra “Sasha” Kazovsky, violin; Amit Even-Tov, cello; Gershon Gerchikov, violin; and Jan Grüning, viola.

Earlier this month, the members of the Ariel Quartet released the first volume in their planned three-album collection of Ludwig van Beethoven’s complete string quartets. Taken as a whole, these works are widely regarded as the greatest achievement in the history of western chamber music.

The first volume of this series was released on April 4, 2025, on the Orchid Classics label, with subsequent volumes arriving in November 2025 and June 2026. The project culminates with a special box set release in March 2027, honoring the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death.

In her write-up for the New York Times, music critic Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim praises the Ariel Quartet's "lively first volume" of Beethoven string quartets. She writes, "The players of the Ariel Quartet come across like a living organism with a single central nervous system that transmits emotional impulses to every part of the body."

Below, preview the Ariel Quartet's new album courtesy of Spotify.

Described by the American Record Guide as "a consummate ensemble gifted with utter musicality and remarkable interpretive power," the Ariel Quartet formed in Israel in 1998 and quickly earned a glowing international reputation.

The ensemble has become well known for its interpretations of Beethoven's quartets, and the Ariel Quartet has performed the complete Beethoven cycle numerous times throughout the United States and Europe. The Ariel Quartet performed a complete tour of Beethoven's string quartets during the 2014 installment of its annual CCM concert series.

At CCM, tomorrow’s arts luminaries work with today’s industry leaders. Our internationally recognized faculty members work with students from around the world. CCM students receive personalized mentorship from professors who guide their individual scholarly, creative, musical, performing and teaching growth.

Who are our faculty members? CCM professors are Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning performers and designers, ASCAP and BMI Award-winning songwriters and composers, as well as Fulbright Scholars. They are members of major American orchestras, as well as directors and conductors for the world’s leading opera houses and summer festivals. They are researchers, educators, choreographers, technicians, filmmakers and playwrights, as well as experts on health and wellness for artists. They have published widely-used textbooks and produced multimedia for US presidents. They have been featured on major broadcasts like Good Morning America, the Today Show and the Tonight Show, to mention just a few of their accomplishments.

Featured image at top (from left to right): CCM faculty members Alexandra Kazovsky, Gershon Gerchikov, Amit Even-Tov and Jan Grüning, who perform together as the Ariel Quartet. Photo/Marco Borggreve