Category: Castalia String Quartet

The Castalia String Quartet is 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.

• November 23, 2025, 3:00 pm
• Phelps Mansion Museum, 191 Court Street, Binghamton, NY
• Click here to purchase tickets

Musicians

Uli Speth, Debrah Devine, violins
Amy Tompkins, viola
Ruth Berry, cello

Program

String Quartet in C minor, op. 95 ‘Serioso’ I Allegro con brio II Allegretto ma non troppo III. Allegro assai vivace ma serioso IV. Larghetto espressivo – Allegretto agitato – Allegro molto	Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Pannonia Boundless (1999)	Aleksandra Vrebalov (1970 – )
~ Intermission ~
Strum for string quartet (2006)	Jessie Montgomery (1981 – )
String Quartet No 1 ‘Already it is Dusk’ op. 62	Henryk Górecki (1933 – 2010)
Diamonds from the Duke I. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore II. Take the ‘A’ Train III. In a Sentimental Mood IV. It Don’t Mean a Thing	Duke Ellington (1899 – 1974), arr. Michael Braz

• March 9, 2025, 3:00 pm
• First United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut St, Oneonta, NY 13820
• Tickets: $25 general public, $10 student

Musicians

Uli Speth and Debrah Devine, violins
Amy Tompkins, viola
Ruth Berry, cello

The Castalia String Quartet is named for the Greek nymph Castalia, who evaded Apollo’s pursuits by diving into a spring. The spring became sacred to the Muses and was a source of poetic inspiration for all who drank from it. Like the Castalian spring’s mythical visitors, the Castalia String Quartet is dedicated to seeking the sources of inspiration that flow through every musical composition.

Program

String Quartet in C major op. 50 No. 3 I. Introduzione. Andante con moto – Allegro vivace II. Andante con moto quasi Allegretto III. Menuetto grazioso IV. Allegro molto	Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
Intermission
Strum for String Quartet op. 3	Jessie Montgomery (1981 – )
String Quartet in D major op. 76 No. 5 II. Largo. Cantabile e mesto	Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
Pannonia Boundless (2006)	Aleksandra Vrebalov (1970 – )
Diamonds from the Duke for String Quartet	Duke Ellington (1899 – 1974) arr. Michael Braz

The Castalia String Quartet is named for the Greek nymph Castalia, who evaded Apollo’s pursuits by diving into a spring. The spring became sacred to the Muses and was a source of poetic inspiration for all who drank from it. Like the Castalian spring’s mythical visitors, the Castalia String Quartet is dedicated to seeking the sources of inspiration that flow through every musical composition.

Formed in 2019 by violinists Uli Speth and Debrah Devine, violist Amy Tompkins, and cellist Ruth Berry (Uli, Debrah, and Ruth are also known to Philharmonic audiences for their contributions to the orchestra), the group performs throughout the upper Catskills, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, Central, and Southern Tier regions of New York State.

On Sunday, February 11, at 3pm, the Castalia String Quartet appears in the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Phelps Mansion Museum Series with a unique mix of music by American composers from underrepresented groups, and composers inspired by music from the margins. The program includes the exquisite Lyric for Strings by George Walker, the first African American composer to win a Pulitzer Prize (listen below); Two Sketches for String Quartet Based on Native American Themes by Elmira native Charles Tomlinson Griffes, and the haunting At the Purchaser’s Option by Grammy-winning musician and Artistic Director of Silkroad, Rhiannon Giddens.

Don’t miss this inspiring performance of great music from the American tradition, performed in the intimate setting of one of Binghamton’s great houses! Tickets are $25 general seating, and a cash bar will be provided by the Phelps Mansion Museum.