This summer the Videri String Quartet launched a competition, Quarantets, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and their separation from each other as performers. The competition solicited string quartet arrangements of music from video games that were set in a post-apocolyptic world, or other circumstances in which life suddenly changed.
After judging over 60 entries, the winners were chosen to create an album that will be released soon. I talked with the performers for this project: violinists Matheus Souza and Eli Bishop, violist Rosalie Samter and cellist Jeremiah Barcus about this home-stretch of the Quarantets project, and find out the winners.
The Quartet received entries from games they expected, like the just-released Last of Us II, but there were also some surprising submissions including a fun arrangement by Thomas Kresge of music from Nintendo's Dr. Mario.
Despite the bleak inspiration for the competition, the process was incredibly therapeutic for the members of Quartet because it provided a way for them to stay connected and have something to focus on. An added benefit is that now they have a whole new group of colleagues that they can work with in the future!
Episode tracklist:
All tracks performed by the Videri String Quartet.
Gustavo Santaolalla: The Last of Us II (arranged by Jeff Penney)
Christopher Larkin: Hollow Knight (arranged by Jamin Morden)
Ludvig Forssell: Death Stranding: Alone We Have No Future (arranged by Mark Choi)
Keiichi Okabe: Nier Automata: Amusement Park (arranged by Christian Pacaud)
Michael Wandmacher: Bloodborne: The Witch of Hemwick (arranged by Brian LaGuardia)
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