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Meet Rachel Henderson Freivogel and J Freivogel from the Jasper String Quartet |
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Home > What's New > Caramoor Blog > Meet Rachel Henderson Freivogel and J Freivogel from the Jasper String Quartet
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November 15, 2010
“The Jasper String Quartet has been hailed as "sonically delightful and expressively compelling" (The Strad) and as having played "brilliantly... with excellent interplayer communication" (The Santa Fe New Mexican). The communication comes naturally as J and Rachel are married and all four members are close friends, living within a block of each other in New Haven, CT. We are lucky to have the Jaspers as the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence for a second year. In this blog interview you will meet J and Rachel. I hope you enjoy it!” -- Alison Shearer
Rachel Henderson Freivogel cellist of Jasper String Quartet
Age: 27
Place of Birth: Westlake, Ohio
Primary Teachers: Norman Fischer, Clive Greensmith, Catharina Meints
J Freivogel – violinist with the Jasper String Quartet
Primary Teachers: Marilyn McDonald, Sylvia Rosenberg, Cho-Liang Lin
Why does music matter?
Rachel: Music matters to me because it is a way of expressing myself and sharing part of myself with other people. I think music has a great capacity to have meaning to everyone and it is a powerful form of non-verbal communication. For that reason it is especially important to support it in tough times--I feel that music fills a need in our emotional existence to express what words cannot.
J Freivogel: Music's value sometimes shows itself in the oddest places. As a performer, you never know who you are playing for or how your music will effect them. But speaking with audience members or students after they have experienced a live string quartet performance makes it very clear that this art-form is a potent one.
What is it about the setting of a string quartet that you find appealing?
Rachel: I love playing in a string quartet because I get to collaborate and also have complete artistic control over my part. It's very rewarding to learn things together, work out disagreements and then get to a place where the four of us are united in our collective voice.
J Freivogel: A quartet has a great balance of autonomy and interpretative control with the support of a group. It is a special thing to be able to play with the same 4 musicians 49 weeks out of the year. We know each other on many levels and this allows us to explore music to great depths.
Any advice for younger musicians?
Rachel: Always set your goals high--you will be surprised at what you can achieve if you set your mind to it!
J Freivogel: Find what you are passionate about, set a goal, and then enjoy getting there.
What inspires you?
Rachel: My colleagues and the music inspire me to play better and learn more.
J Freivogel: It can be anything from hearing a great performance to getting a good nights sleep.
What are three words you would use to describe yourself?
Rachel: Quiet, funny, happy!
J Freivogel: Intense, playful, happy
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