Ulysses Quartet
Ulysses Quartet makes its first appearance in the Phillips Music series with a program tracing several strands of American musical life, including ragtime, folk song, modernism, contemporary composition, and musical theater. The concert begins with Jessie Montgomery’s *Voodoo Dolls* and Christina Bouey’s *Soul*, then continues with Seth Grosshandler’s five-movement *Dances for String Quartet* and selected rags by Scott Joplin.
After intermission, the quartet performs Rhiannon Giddens’s *At the Purchaser’s Option*, Charles Ives’s *String Quartet No. 1*, and Bouey’s arrangement of themes from Leonard Bernstein’s *West Side Story*. The performance is sponsored by Martha R. Johnston.
When: Sunday, October 4, 2026
Showtimes: 4–6 p.m., including intermission
Venue: The Phillips Collection
Format: In-person Sunday Concert
Tickets: Price not available; the event is listed as sold out.
Program: Jessie Montgomery, *Voodoo Dolls*; Seth Grosshandler, *Dances for String Quartet*; Christina Bouey, *Soul*; Scott Joplin, selected rags, arranged by Rhiannon Banerdt; Rhiannon Giddens, *At the Purchaser’s Option*; Charles Ives, *String Quartet No. 1*; and Leonard Bernstein, themes from *West Side Story*, arranged by Christina Bouey.
Performers: Christina Bouey, violin; Rhiannon Banerdt, violin; Julian Seney, viola; and Grace Ho, cello.
Run time: Approximately two hours, with intermission.
Ages: No age restriction is specified.
About the quartet: Founded in 2015, Ulysses Quartet has won major chamber-music honors including the 2016 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition grand prize and gold medal, the 2017 American Prize, the 2018 Schoenfeld International String Competition, and the 2019 Vietnam International Music Competition. The ensemble has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Alice Tully Hall, the National Gallery of Art, and the Taiwan National Recital Hall.
Residencies and recordings: The quartet served as GBH Music’s first quartet in residence from 2023 to 2025 and previously held residencies at Juilliard and the Louis Moreau Institute in New Orleans. Its recordings include *Shades of Romani Folklore*, *Sea Change Quartets* with composer Joseph Summer, and *A Giant Beside You* with guitarist Benjamin Verdery.
Mission: Ulysses Quartet promotes classical music from the past and present, with particular emphasis on bringing attention to underrepresented BIPOC and female composers. The ensemble also presents interactive programs and workshops designed to explain the workings of a string quartet and connect classical music with contemporary life.