Following a remarkable inaugural year, the acclaimed Balourdet Quartet returns as Seattle Chamber Music Society’s String Quartet in Residence for a second season, from September 2026 through May 2027. Building on the relationships established during their first residency, the quartet will once again live and work in King County, bringing chamber music beyond the concert hall and into schools, neighborhoods, community spaces, and stages across the region.

During their first year, the Balourdet Quartet reached more than 3,000 people throughout Seattle and King County, with performances and programs in schools, hospitals, retirement communities, museums, and concert halls. Their work included coaching youth and adult musicians in SCMS’s Academy for Chamber Music, collaborating on music and memory research with the University of Washington and the Memory Hub, presenting lecture-recitals, and performing alongside SCMS artists including James Ehnes and Orion Weiss.

In 2026–27, the quartet will build on that foundation by deepening community partnerships, developing new programs inspired by their first year in Seattle, working with students and musicians, and continuing to bring exceptional chamber music into welcoming and unexpected spaces throughout King County. Their second residency reflects the heart of SCMS’s mission: creating meaningful connections between extraordinary artists, music, and community.

The String Quartet in Residence program is generously sponsored by Heidi Charleson, a longtime and steadfast supporter of Seattle Chamber Music Society. The program is inspired by the taxpayer-funded program, Doors Open, a cultural access initiative by King County that aims to make the arts, science and heritage accessible for all residents.