String quintet in 17th century Italy and can be seen as early as 1607 in Claudio Monteverdi's opera, "L'Orfeo". It can also be applied to the standard five-part orchestral string section: first violins, second violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. String quintet A string quintet is a musical composition for five string players. As an extension to the string quartet (two violins, a viola, and a cello), a string quintet includes a fifth string instrument, usually a second viola (a so-called "viola quintet") or a second cello (a "cello quintet"), or occasionally a double bass. Notable examples of classic "viola quintets", in
Escher String Quartet Grosvenor, jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, and jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman In 2013 the Escher Quartet was awarded the Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Career Grant. In 2015 the quartet was awarded the Martin. E. Segal Award by Lincoln Center. The Escher String Quartet is best known for its recordings of Alexander von Zemlinsky's complete string quartets. In 2015, the quartet began releasing recordings of Mendelssohn's complete string quartets on the BIS label. Escher String Quartet The Escher String Quartet is an American string quartet based in New York City, where they serve as Artists of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln