Education
Education is not a side project for the Fry Street Quartet – it’s central to the ensemble’s mission. As teachers, mentors, and collaborators, the FSQ nurtures the next generation of musicians with the same curiosity, discipline, and relational depth that shape its performances.
Residency at Utah State University
The FSQ holds the Dan C. and Manon Caine Russell Endowed String Quartet Residency at the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University. As members of the string faculty, each quartet member teaches private lessons and chamber music, and together they lead a vibrant, close-knit undergraduate program that cultivates artistry, technique, and collaborative fluency.
What sets the program apart is its personal, holistic approach. Students receive individualized mentorship within a creative and rigorous curriculum, and are supported in developing their own voices as artists and citizens. Alumni have gone on to attend leading conservatories – including the Cleveland Institute of Music, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, New England Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory – and have earned top honors in competitions such as MTNA, ASTA, and the T. Gordon Parks Collegiate Concerto Competition.
More importantly, graduates are contributing to their communities with imagination and integrity. Whether through education, creative programming, or performances in unexpected places, they are forging meaningful cultural connections and helping shape a more responsive and resilient musical field.
Chamber Music Leadership
Through the USU Visiting Artist and Lecture Series and in partnership with the Chamber Music Society of Logan, the FSQ regularly hosts residencies and masterclasses with world-class performers and pedagogues. Guests have included the Emerson, Jerusalem, and Brentano Quartets, as well as esteemed artists such as Paul Katz, James Dunham, Nathan Cole, Amit Peled, and principal players from the Utah Symphony.
Composer Collaborations
A hallmark of the FSQ’s teaching is its commitment to living music. Through an ongoing partnership with the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, students collaborate directly with Academy composers – workshopping, interpreting, and premiering new works. Recent guests have included Kerwin Young, Andrew Rodriguez, Dawn Norfleet, Jungyoon Wie, Ben Shirley, and Adeliia Faizullina, whose music reflects the evolving, expansive landscape of 21st-century composition.
Fry Street Chamber Music Festival
Founded in 2017, the Fry Street Chamber Music Festival offers pre-college string players and pianists (ages 14–18) an immersive week of chamber music study on the FSQ’s home campus. With a focus on communication, collaboration, and musical integrity, the festival equips young musicians not only with technical refinement, but with the tools for trust, deep listening, and creative ensemble practice. Students rehearse and perform daily, alongside featured performances by the FSQ and guest artists. More information can be found here.
Recent Educational Work
California
Crowden Music Center Chamber Music Workshop Faculty
Utah
Intermountain Suzuki String Institute Guest Artist and Faculty for Chamber Days with the Fry Street Quartet
Fry Street Chamber Music Festival
Kansas
Bows at the Barn String Camp in Wichita, KS
Nevada
Las Vegas Academy Masterclasses & Recital
Recent Education News
Fry Street Quartet Closes 20th Anniversary Season With Special Celebration Concert
Fry Street Quartet Announces Gabriela Lena Frank as Composer-in-Residence
USU String Chamber Music Premieres Works from Two Composers in Crossing Borders Concert
Fry Street Chamber Music Festival 2020
FSQ Joins Faculty of The Crowden School's Summer Chamber Music Workshop
FSQ Celebrates 10 Years of Intensive Quartet Seminar at Intermountain Suzuki String Institute