Play it Forward Residency
For over a decade, the Festival together with the BSO has brought an emerging chamber ensemble to Bellingham in its Play it Forward Chamber Residency. Every year in the month of March, the Festival finances, houses, and transports young musicians from the prestigious Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, to Bellingham where they perform masterclasses, classroom outreach, and concerts throughout our Whatcom County middle and high schools.
Quartet Integra
Meet and Greet
Held Sunday, March 9, 2025 • 3:00pm
Christ The Servant Lutheran
2600 Lakeway Dr
Bellingham, WA 98229
Open to the public | Free
Concert
Held Friday, March 14, 2025 • 7:00pm
Sehome High School
2700 Bill McDonald Parkway
Bellingham, WA 98225
$15 suggested donation, students free
Described as having “an enormous wealth of colors… and sparkling rhythms” (All News
Press), Quartet Integra is quickly developing a reputation of international prestige. In 2022, the quartet won Second Prize and the coveted Audience Award at the 2022 ARD International Music
Competition, First Prize at the 2021 Bartók World Competition, and First Prize along with the
Beethoven Prize and the Grand Prix Award at the 2019 Akiyoshidai Music Competition.
Quartet Integra has performed in numerous venues throughout the United States, Europe,
and Japan, and have collaborated with artists including Augustin Hadelich, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, Fabio Bidini, Shigeo Neriki, and the Calidore String Quartet.
Consisting of first violinist Kyoka Misawa, second violinist Rintaro Kikuno, violist Itsuki Yamamoto, and cellist Ye Un Park, Quartet Integra formed in 2015 and began their studies with Kazuhide Isomura and Nobuko Yamazaki at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. They continued their academic work as a quartet as fellows at the Suntory Hall Chamber Music Academy.
Currently, they are the Chamber Ensemble-in-Residence at the Colburn School, where they study with Martin Beaver, Jonathan Brown, and Clive Greensmith. Quartet Integra is supported by grant funding from the Matsuo Foundation and is on the roster of Japan Arts and Colburn Artists.