12 memories from my 12 years in the Formosa Quartet by Wayne Lee

Being a member of the Formosa Quartet has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. I got to spend 12 years living and breathing string quartets with some of the best musicians I know, who also happen to be some of the best human beings that I know. After so many concerts performed, pieces learned, places seen, and meals shared, we have made countless, priceless memories together, and I remember most of them like they happened yesterday. My world is infinitely bigger and richer thanks to my FQ family.

As I transition from quartet member to quartet groupie, I can’t wait to see what will happen in this next phase of FQ’s evolution. Jasmine, Matt, and Debbie have found a very special new colleague in David, and I know that the four of them will continue to represent this art form with the fiercest commitment: always searching, constantly reinventing, never taking anything for granted. I will be in the audience cheering them on.

Here are 12 memories from my 12 years in the Formosa Quartet. —Wayne

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2012

Rupei, Brian, and I walked towards dinner at Pisticci in Morningside Heights after one of our countless marathon rehearsals at the home of Mickey and Debbie Goldberg. (Photo credit: most likely Jasmine Lin)

2013

Pei-Shan Lee, Robert Meyer, and the Formosa Quartet led a student orientation meeting at the inaugural Formosa Chamber Music Festival in Hualien, Taiwan. FCMF had a glorious six-year run, impacting somewhere in the ballpark of 150 young Taiwanese musicians, many of whom are professional musicians or students at top conservatories around the world today. It is one of my proudest accomplishments as a member of FQ.

2014

Sitting in the booth at the Logan Center in Chicago during our recording of Brahms and Gernsheim piano quintets. Also pictured are pianist Reiko Uchida, engineer Bill Maylone, and producer Judith Sherman.

2015

Backstage after Rupei's last concert with the Quartet in Taiwan. A bittersweet moment.

2016

Rehearsing Grieg Quartet in our studio at NYO Canada, where we've been string quartet-in-residence since 2014.

2017

Filming a bit for a Kickstarter campaign with Don Cho-Liang Lin. The full video is still accessible through the link and is well worth 3 minutes of your time!

2018

Outside the Berlin Philharmonie at the end of a 10 day concert tour in Germany.

2019

Backstage with the great Richard Lester after playing Schubert Quintet at Wigmore Hall.

2020

Performing some extended techniques with Jasmine at Asia Society Texas Center in Houston, just weeks before the world shut down.

2021

Reunited about 18 months later in a changed world.

2022

A beautiful night in DC before a concert at the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery.

2023

After recording the four string quartets of George McKay in Seattle (more about this soon!).

2024

An ongoing source of amusement. Debbie and Jasmine didn't bother to hide their true feelings about Matt's violin playing. [insert any viola joke here]