• Most Respected Classical Music Platform
  • #classicalForever
TOP

Vega Quartet Names Emily Daggett Smith as New First Violinist

 

Emily Daggett Smith will replace former first violinist Elizabeth Fayette, who left in the Spring of 2020 to pursue other opportunities.

In the interim, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concertmaster David Coucheron filled in as guest first violin.

The Vega Quartet's other instrumentalists include violinist Jessica Shuang Wu, violist Yinzi Kong, and cellist Guang Wang.

They have served as the Quartet in Residence at Emory University in Atlanta since 2006 — and won prizes at various international competitions, including the Bordeaux String Quartet Competition, Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, Carmel Chamber Music Competition, and the National Society of Arts and Letters String Quartet Competition.

A graduate of The Juilliard School and Stony Brook University, Emily Daggett Smith was the concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra, where she worked with renowned conductors Michael Tilson-Thomas and Leonard Slatkin. She has performed as a soloist with the Iris Orchestra, Festival Mozaic Orchestra, New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Classical Players, as well as a guest concertmaster of The Orlando Philharmonic and The Knights.

Daggett has also served on violin faculty at the Bard College Conservatory Pre-College and The Juilliard School, where she is an assistant to Laurie Smukler. She also served on the faculty of Stony Brook's undergraduate department.

"New Year, New Beginning!" wrote the Vega Quartett on their social media. "We are so excited to announce that Emily Daggett Smith has joined us as the first violin of the quartet! Looking forward to our journey together."

upcoming events

july 2025

11julAll Day25Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition(All Day) Harbin Grand Theatre, China, Heilongjiang, Harbin, Songbei District, 滨水大道 邮政编码: 150010Event Type :competitions Event TagsAlice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition,competition

august 2025

22augAll Day30Tibor Varga International Junior Violin Competition(All Day) Ferme-Asile, Promenade des Pêcheurs 10 1950 Sion SuisseEvent Type :competitions Event Tagscompetition,Tibor Varga

25augAll Day31Banff International String Quartet Competition(All Day) The Banff Centre, 107 Tunnel Mountain Drive Box 1020 Banff T1L 1H5 Canada Event Type :competitions Event TagsBanff International String Quartet Competition,string quartet

27augAll Day07sepFerruccio Busoni International Piano Competition(All Day) Il Teatro Comunale di Bolzano | Das Stadttheater von Bozen, Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, Platz 40, 39100 Event Type :competitions Event TagsFerruccio Busoni International Piano Competition,Piano Competition

31augAll Day07sepArturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition(All Day) Teatro Regio, Str. Giuseppe Garibaldi, 16/a, 43121 Parma PR, ItalyEvent Type :competitions Event TagsArturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition,conducting competition

31augAll Day07sepBartok World Competition - Piano(All Day) Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest Liszt Ferenc tér 8, 1061 HungaryEvent Type :competitions Event TagsBartok World Competition

CONTACT US
x

Get ALL your latest classical music news conveniently by EMAIL

Free – and trusted by 2 million+ readers monthly