The argot string quartet
The Argot String Quartet is a classical ensemble based in Frederick, MD. The group formed at Shenandoah Conservatory under the guidance of C. Thomas Shaw and Doris Lederer of the Audubon String Quartet in the Fall of 2006.
For two years the group studied and performed 14 works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Gershwin, Smetana, Piazzola and others in multiple concerts professionally and for their course work. In 2008, rather than going the competition route, the members decided to complete their own individual degrees and mature more as solo and orchestral artists. In 2015, three of the original members decided, it was time to take the next step. Along with a new friend and colleague, the Argot String Quartet reformed and was set to take the stage once again.
'Argot' is the jargon or slang of a particular group or class. We all know music is its own language, and musicians spend a lot of time in rehearsals trying to come up with ways to describe the music. Terms like warmer, cold, still, spiked, rough and even chocolatey are just a few that many people use. When the quartet formed, the main language of the group was Spanish. One member spoke only English but knew just enough to understand and keep up in rehearsals. Being from three different countries, the other members had to remember certain terms and sayings had slightly different meanings. Over time the group developed a fluid way of communicating effectively within the ensemble. A week before the first concert in 2006, the group needed a name. At the last minute someone suggested Argot and the name stuck.
For more about the quartet members, check out the Biographies page. Full Biographies of each member and the quartet will be available soon in the Press Kit section.
Photographer: Jennifer White-Johnson
Argot String Quartet: (left - right) Marjory Serrano, Jason Diggs, Camilo Pérez-Mejía, Jie Hyue Kim
Location: BlackRock Center for the Arts