Based in
Their strong convictions about the importance of community and school outreach has led them to share their music with thousands of school children in rural Kentucky and Ohio under the auspices of New Performing Arts, Inc. and the Darke County Center for the Arts, and in the city of Des Moines, IA. The BPQ has also developed residencies aimed at introducing chamber music concepts to the string students in the Port Jefferson and Hewlett-Woodmere public school districts on
The BPQ works regularly with the Emerson String Quartet, Colin Carr and Kathy Murdock at
Violinist Stephen Miahky has garnered acclaim for his performances as a recitalist and as a chamber musician. His most recent engagements include performances at New York City's Steinway Hall, Trinity Church, and Mannes College of Music, Atlanta's ProMozart Society, Vancouver's Sonic Boom Festival, Albany's Young Musician's Forum, Detroit's Institute of Art, and on NPR's Performance Today. He has performed with such distinguished artists as Martin Katz, Martin Beaver, Steven Doane, Norman Fischer, as well as members of the
Violinist Benjamin Russell is hailed as a dynamic performer and displays great talent in mastering both classical music and folk music of several cultures. As founding member of the Bryant Park Quartet, he tours throughout the country performing recitals and gives presentations in public schools and universities. Benjamin currently holds the position of Principal 2nd Violin in the Portland Symphony Orchestra in Maine. In the past year, he has collaborated with the International Contemporary Ensemble, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, West Philadelphia Orchestra, Composers Collaborative, Mark Morris Dance Group, Matt Rock, Portland Chamber Orchestra, Paul Katz, Allsar Quartet, Los Angeles Collaboration, and Max Richter. Benjamin received his MM from the New England Conservatory and his BM from Biola University. His influential teachers include Masuko Ushioda, Ian Swensen, Jan Repko, Mary Beth Woodruff, Ruth Meints, and Mary Gerard. Benjamin currently resides in Manhattan.
Originally from
A native of Port Jefferson, NY, Tomoko Fujita is the cellist of the Bryant Park Quartet and a musician of wide-ranging interests. Tomoko has presented solo and chamber music recitals at many venues including the Staller Center for the Arts, Paul Recital Hall, the Kosciusko Foundation, and Duncan Recital Hall. An award-winner as a Tanglewood Music Center fellow, she was a member of the New Fromm Players, Tanglewood's contemporary music ensemble-in-residence. Tomoko has also recently performed baroque cello in the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts series and the Boston Early Music Festival. In addition to teaching at the Stony Brook University Pre-College Program and the Port Jefferson Music Academy , and maintaining a private studio, she has served on the faculty of the Zephyr International Chamber Music Course and Festival in Courmayeur , Italy . Tomoko graduated summa cum laude from Rice University with a double degree: a B.M. in cello performance as a student of Norman Fischer; and a B.A. in psychology. She earned a M.M. at The Juilliard School while studying with Joel Krosnick and Darrett Adkins. She is currently working with Colin Carr in the D.M.A. program at Stony Brook University.