The Ebony Strings Quartet, comprised of Stephanie Matthews and Naira Underwood (violins), Adiza Sanchez-Rahim (viola), and Hugh Lesure (cello), was established at The Juilliard School in 2006. The quartet strives to achieve the highest level of musicianship and is dedicated to exploring new works. String quartet works have been commissioned by composers Cristina Spinei, Ulysses Owens, Ricardo Romaneiro, and Tarik Ghiradella. Most recently, the quartet was invited to debut Cristina Spinei’s Strung Along at the New York Choreographic Institute at Lincoln Center. Other notable performances include performing at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, Alice Tully Hall, the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas, and a guest appearance at the Treetops Chamber Music Series in Stamford, Connecticut. The Ebony Strings has participated in the Chamber Music Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where they worked with the internationally acclaimed Chiara String Quartet. The ensemble has also worked with members of the Juilliard String Quartet, Guarneri String Quartet, and Mendelssohn String Quartet. The group has been featured in the Houston Sun Times and has made numerous television appearances, including a performance on NBC's The Today Show. In 2007, the Ebony Strings was invited to perform for the Black Girls Rock! Awards hosted by DJ Beverly Bond in conjunction with VH1's Hip-Hop Honors at the Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater. The Ebony Strings Quartet is devoted to supporting and developing numerous educational and outreach programs throughout New York City and the tri-state area. The quartet is in residence at the Queensborough Community College - CUNY in Bayside, New York. They were recently invited by the Rhinebeck Chamber Music Society to conduct presentations at the W. W. Smith Humanities Magnet School and the Catherine Street Community Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. Members of this dynamic ensemble can be cited for working with a wide array of noteworthy artists across all genres of music, including Bonnie Hampton, Fred Sherry, Itzhak Perlman, Arnold Steinhardt, PJ Morton, Diane Monroe, Karen Clark-Sheard, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Wynton Marsalis, Nas, Fabolous, Kanye West, Regina Carter, Lalah Hathaway, Kelly Price, Tony Williams, Seymour Lipkin, Kim Burrell, Donnie McClurkin, and Richard Smallwood.
