2024 marks the inaugural season of the Sydney Eisteddfod String Quartet residency with Orvieto Musica. This ambitious partnership is the brainchild of Executive Director Kim Walker SE Board Chair Max Holzner, with the goal of connecting four young prizewinners from Australia with Umbria’s premiere chamber music festival to create inspiring experiences and thrilling concerts.
Violinists David Carreon and Monty Guo, violist Justin Chen, and cellist Noah Oshiro were selected by the Eisteddfod to make the 16,000 km trip, and from the moment they took the stage, they’ve had the enraptured Italian audiences on their feet. Their dazzling artistry and virtuosity have breathed life into Kim and Max’s vision and set a high bar for future participants in the program.
We sat down with the four of them to discuss what brought them to the festival, where they’re headed in their careers, and what their trip to Orvieto has taught them along the way.
OM: When did you all meet?
David: I had played together with Monty previously, and Noah and Justin knew each other from high school. We’ve all won prizes in the Sydney Eisteddfod for chamber music performance, and three of us decided to form a quartet a year and a half ago to attend institutes in Berlin, Hannover, and Salzburg.
Justin: It was our first big trip as a group, but we felt like we had some unfinished business when it was all over. In Germany, we did a lot of coaching and masterclasses, but we never actually performed on stage.
Orvieto was the perfect opportunity for us to deliver a real concert series together and begin bridging that gap to the professional stage.
OM: How were you selected by the Eisteddfod?
Noah: I might have made a few phone calls right to the top when I saw the opportunity. Maybe more than a few.
Justin: It was all within the bounds of reasonable—you were very excited!
Noah: Something like Orvieto Musica was exactly what we wanted to do, and the fact that it was in Italy was a huge bonus. We had a few meetings, the Eisteddfod said “Yes,” and we booked our plane tickets.
OM: Why was it important to go to Europe?
Monty: If you look at the principals in Australian orchestras, they’ve all either lived and played in Europe or studied there. Places like Italy are where the music we play comes from, and Australia is both geographically and culturally distant from that tradition. There are incredible musicians and opportunities in Sydney, for instance, but in Europe, it’s everywhere and part of the everyday culture. At some point, you just have to go there and see it for yourself to understand.
OM: What has your experience been like in Orvieto?
David: We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the artists and participants we’ve collaborated with, and we’ve learned a lot in the time we’ve been here. We feel we’ve improved a lot, made great music, and had a chance to really experience the culture.
Noah: You really need at least three weeks to settle in and start discovering the local rhythm and culture, and it’s been absolutely eye-opening. You also need some time to get comfortable with the language, and you definitely aren’t in a bubble here like you are at some festivals.
Orvieto Musica brings you into contact with the city, its people, and the Italian way of life—that’s an invaluable part of traveling that contributes to becoming a mature artist.
OM: Tell us about what it was like putting together a concert at OM.
Justin: We’re all extremely close, and one of the big reasons we have enjoyed it so much is that we’ve had time to really focus on the group. We’ve had a lot of extra hours in the apartment together refining and growing as a quartet as well as friends. Developing such high standards can add a bit of angst to the concerts, but that’s also what makes them exciting. It’s a highlight for me, and I think it speaks to our audiences as well.
OM: You have definitely been a hit with the audiences. What gives you the extra edge on stage?
David: When you’re performing alone there are a lot of ups and downs, but when you’re in a group, you can inspire each other to keep the energy up. Obviously we try to play technically perfect whenever possible, but we also want to grab the audience and let that energy live in the space. It’s always about more than being accurate—I trust these guys on stage as professionals and performers, but I trust their passion too. That makes a big difference.
Monty: It’s true. Not everything that happens in a rehearsal starts in that room, and living and breathing Orvieto has allowed us to discover some of the behind-the-scenes secrets that go into being a great quartet.
OM: Give us your biggest takeaways from your time with Orvieto Musica.
Noah: I think it has been an extraordinary opportunity to expand our networking on an international scale. Whether it’s working with Kim, Robyn, or our friends in the San Francisco quartet, we’ve just met so many wonderful people we’ll stay connected to as we move forward in our careers.
David: Absolutely. You never know who you’re going to run into or when it’s going to change your life, and Orvieto creates these moments. I think you have to seize those opportunities and embrace meeting as many new people as you can.
It’s a small world, and places like Orvieto Musica are where those lifelong relationships and experiences are formed.
Justin: When we leave here, we’re all going our separate ways for the time being. Monty and I are going home, David’s going to Boston, and Noah’s going back to Germany for another festival. But Orvieto will always be an experience we’ll share. The lessons we’ve discovered and the bonds we’ve formed here will be waiting for us every time we sit down to play together in the future.