The two groups will become ensembles in residence as part of NEC’s Professional Programs
New England Conservatory (NEC) has announced that the Katarina Quartet and Paddington Trio will become the institution’s new ensembles in residence from the start of the 2026/27 academic year, as part of its Professional Programs.
The tuition-free Professional String Quartet and Piano Trio programmes, led by Paul Katz and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein respectively, offer exceptional, existing chamber groups artistic mentorship, career development and performance opportunities.
The Katarina Quartet, which won the Grand Prize at the 2025 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, was founded in 2022 at McGill University, in Montreal.
The group – violinists Jeanel Liang and Jérôme Chiasson, violist Celia Morin, and cellist Maya Enstad – explores a broad range of repertoire, from contemporary and canonical works to folk tunes, and collaborates regularly with community and charity organisations.
The ensemble was the graduate resident string quartet at The Juilliard School from 2024 to 2026.
The Paddington Trio won First Prize at the Royal Over-Seas League Competition in 2022 and the Parkhouse Award in 2023. It comprises Finnish violinist Tuulia Hero, Irish cellist Patrick Moriarty and American pianist Stephanie Tang.
The trio’s debut album, Freakshow, is slated for release on the Pentatone label in 2027. Since 2023, the group has mentored ensembles at the Royal Northern College of Music.
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