Poiesis Quartet & Nancy Maultsby
Biographie Poiesis Quartet & Nancy Maultsby
Nancy Maultsby
American mezzo-soprano Nancy Maultsby is in demand by opera companies and orchestras throughout the world. Her unique vocal timbre and insightful musicianship allow her to pursue a repertoire extending from the operas of Monteverdi and Handel to recent works by John Adams. She regularly performs the major heroines of nineteenth-century French, Italian, and German opera and the great symphonic masterpieces.
Nancy Maultsby’s recent projects include performances as Genevieve in Pelléas et Mélisande at the Los Angeles Opera, directed by David McVicar and conducted by James Conlon, and the Cleveland Orchestra in a new semi-staged production by Yuval Sharon, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, as well as at Cincinnati Symphony with Louis Langrée in a staging by James Darrah. At the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ms. Maultsby performed the role of Julia in Lou Harrison’s Young Caesar, a reimagining of the classic piece by Yuval Sharon, which was later released on recording, and Bianca in Boston Lyric Opera’s production of The Rape of Lucretia. Ms. Maultsby also performed Handel’s Messiah with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with the Indianapolis Symphony and Verdi’s Requiem with the Florida Orchestra, Akron Symphony and Eugene Symphony. Ms. Maultsby was also featured in performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the San Antonio Symphony conducted by Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Handel’s Messiah with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Edward Polochick, as well as a return to Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Ježibaba in Dvořák’s Rusalka. Finally, Ms. Maultsby recently appeared at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln for the world-premiere of Richard Stout’s Songs of Correspondence, with texts by celebrated American author Willa Cather, performed with the Poiesis Quartet.
Nancy Maultsby’s other recent engagements include her role debut as Gaea in Strauss’ Daphne with the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Franz Welser-Möst at Severance Hall in Cleveland and at New York’s Lincoln Center Festival; her role debut as Mrs. Sedley with the St. Louis Symphony in Britten’s Peter Grimes under the baton of David Robertson at Powell Hall in St. Louis and at Carnegie Hall, with additional performances of the role at the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas; her role debut as Mamma Lucia in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Donald Runnicles, the Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Festival under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst, and with the Florida Orchestra; Haydn’s Paukenmesse with the San Diego Symphony conducted by Jahja Ling; Judith in Bluebeard’s Castle with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra; and Verdi’s Requiem with the Pacific Chorale and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
Poiesis Quartet
National Chamber Music Competition. Within their first year playing together, they also received Fischoff’s Senior Strings Gold Medal and the Lift Every Voice prizes, and Gold Medal and BIPOC Prize at the 2023 St. Paul String Quartet Competition. In 2024, Poiesis joins the Concert Artists Guild roster for North American management as the winners of the Louis & Susan Meisel Competition. Currently, Poiesis is the Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) studying under the Ariel Quartet. For the 2024-25 season, they also serve as the ensemble-in-residence at concert:nova, a Cincinnati-based collective which presents multi-sensorial and interdisciplinary concert experiences. Other highlights of the 2024-25 season include appearances on chamber music series in Asheville, NC and San Antonio, TX, the world premiere at CCM of two new quartets by Brian Raphael Nabors and Kitty Brazelton, and the October 2024 release of the ensemble's debut album, as we are, in collaboration with Nancy Maultsby on the Bright Shiny Things label.
In January 2023, the Quartet completed an international tour in Uruguay with artistic residencies in Punta del Diablo and Punta del Este’s premiere concert series, Conciertos del Este. Performances included the world premiere of Alejandro Melo’s composition “Elegy” which was dedicated to the Quartet. In October 2023, Poiesis embarked on a tour of the Midwestern U.S. as part of their Fischoff Gold Medal prize. Highlights included a recording of Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's Calvary Quartet at Guarneri Hall in Chicago, educational outreach at five middle and high schools in Des Moines, IA and South Bend, IN, and a feature on the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series broadcast live on Chicago's WFMT. Poiesis presented the opening concert of the Rocky River Chamber Music Society's 65th season, including the Cleveland premiere of a new song cycle by Cleveland Orchestra trombonist Rick Stout with illustrious mezzo-soprano Nancy Maultsby. For this performance, the quartet was lauded as "agile collaborators" with an “extraordinary, honeyed group sound” (Cleveland Classical). In the 2023-24 season, Poiesis also played on series including the Schneider Concerts in New York City, the Kent Blossom Music Festival, and the Faculty Chamber Series at Baldwin Wallace University.
Poiesis coaches with the Ariel Quartet as well as CCM faculty members Nick Photinos, Kristin Lee, and Ayane Kozasa. As graduates of Oberlin, they have previously been mentored by Sibbi Bernhardsson of the Pacifica Quartet and the Verona Quartet. Additionally, Poiesis is grateful to have worked with Kirsten Docter of the Cavani Quartet, Sandy Yamamoto of the Miró Quartet, Philip Setzer and Paul Watkins of the Emerson Quartet, Matt Albert of Eighth Blackbird, and renowned soloist Jinjoo Cho.
Comprised of violinists Sarah Ma (21) and Max Ball (22), cellist Drew Dansby (23), and violist Jasper de Boor (23), members of the Poiesis Quartet have attended programs such as Kneisel Hall, the Perlman Music Program, Verbier Festival Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, and Madeline Island Chamber Music’s Fellowship program. The Poiesis are a group of interdisciplinary musicians: In addition to their performance degrees from Oberlin, Drew also received a B.A. in Chemistry, and Sarah holds two minors in Comparative American Studies and Gender, Sexuality, & Feminist Studies. Jasper graduated as a double major in viola and violin performance with a minor in baroque violin, and Max pursued a minor in jazz studies. When not playing chamber music, Poiesis loves to learn new languages on Duolingo, share delicious ice cream cakes, and take long walks on the beach.
The name Poiesis is derived from the ancient Greek word ποιεῖν, which means "to make"; particularly, to create something that has never been made before.
As a string quartet made up of inter- and multi-disciplinary young artists, the Poiesis Quartet seeks to program music of all styles and genres and expand the traditional quartet setting with an emphasis on platforming works by emerging and underrepresented composers. Poiesis strives to create unique moments of synchronicity, sensitivity, and verve in each performance.
