Castalia String Quartet of the Catskills

The Castalia String Quartet of the Catskills was formed in 2019 by Uli Speth (violin I), Debrah Devine (violin II), Amy Tompkins (viola), and Ruth Berry (cello). The Quartet performs throughout New York State’s upper Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Finger Lakes, Central, and Southern Tier regions. In addition to their quartet work, the members often collaborate with other musicians in a variety of chamber music settings, and their performances have been livestreamed across the United States and Canada. They are also active orchestral players and can be appreciated as the principal strings of the Fenimore Chamber Orchestra.

The Castalia String Quartet crafts unique programs by allowing their creative process to be guided by a search for the varied sources that shape a composer’s voice—whether rooted in personal experience, cultural identity, historical context, or abstract ideas. Regardless of how apparent or subtle these influences may be, the Quartet works to draw out a connecting thread that flows through the entire performance. Making that thread tangible to listeners is what the Quartet members consider their core mission as performers.

Named for the Greek nymph Castalia—who, in myth, became a spring sacred to the Muses and a source of inspiration for artists—the Quartet embraces the idea that music can both reflect and renew the creative wellsprings from which it comes.

Each member of the Quartet holds a performance degree from a major institution in the U.S. or Europe. Individually, they maintain active performance careers that have taken them to concert halls across the country, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Madison Square Garden.

Performances

Photos by Brittany Lesavoy Smith Photography