Winners of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2022, the New York City-based Isidore String Quartet was formed in 2019 with a vision to revisit, rediscover, and reinvigorate the repertory. The quartet is heavily influenced by the Juilliard String Quartet and the idea of ‘approaching the established as if it were brand new, and the new as if it were firmly established.’

The quartet began as an ensemble at the Juilliard School, and has coached with Joel Krosnick, Joseph Lin, Astrid Schween, Laurie Smukler, Joseph Kalichstein, Roger Tapping, Misha Amory, and numerous others.

Over the past several years, the quartet has developed a strong connection to the works of composer and pianist Billy Childs, performing his Quartets No. 2 and 3 throughout North America and Europe. In February 2026 they will premiere a new Childs quartet written expressly for them.

Both on stage and outside the concert hall, the Isidore Quartet is deeply invested in connecting with youth and elderly populations, and with marginalized communities who otherwise have limited access to high-quality live music performance. They approach music as a “playground” and attempt to break down barriers to encourage collaboration and creativity. The name Isidore recognizes the ensemble’s musical connection to the Juilliard Quartet: one of that group’s early members was legendary violinist Isidore Cohen. Additionally, it acknowledges a shared affection for a certain libation – legend has it a Greek monk named Isidore concocted the first genuine vodka recipe for the Grand Duchy of Moscow!

Clarinetist Anthony McGill, praised for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich
character” (The New York Times), is one of classical music’s most recognizable and multifaceted
figures. He serves as Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic—the first
African-American principal in the orchestra’s history—and enjoys a dynamic solo and chamber
music career.
McGill is the 2024 Musical America Instrumentalist of the Year and recipient of the 2020 Avery
Fisher Prize. He appears regularly as a soloist with leading orchestras including the New York
and Los Angeles Philharmonics and the Chicago and Detroit Symphonies.
He has released acclaimed recordings with the Pacifica Quartet (American Stories, Mozart &
Brahms Quintets), and pianist Gloria Chien (Here With You), and performed at President Barack
Obama’s 2009 inauguration. His advocacy for racial equity includes founding the viral
#TakeTwoKnees campaign and partnering with Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative,
with whom he performed in Montgomery, AL on Juneteenth 2024.
McGill is a faculty member at Juilliard and Curtis, where he directs the Music Advancement
Program (MAP), focused on young musicians from underrepresented communities. He helped
launch the MAP Summer Scholarship Fund and supported its $50 million Crankstart
endowment.
McGill is a graduate of the Curtis Institute, a board member of Cedille Records and the Harmony
Program, and an advisor to several youth initiatives. He is a Backun Artist.