The eclectic and highly polished Beo String Quartet, founded in 2015, has created a niche for itself as a daring, genre-defying ensemble. Rigorously trained in the classical tradition, violinists Jason Neukom and Andrew Giordano, violist Sean Neukom, and cellist Ryan Ash also know their way around contemporary expression, including the use of electronics, live sound processing, and spatial audio manipulation. Their performances of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, or Shostakovich have been compared to those of the best among 21st century international string quartets. 

On January 31, 2023, the Beo String Quartet made an auspicious New York debut under the aegis of the distinguished Morgan Library and Museum. The program included selections from J.S. Bach’s timeless Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080; the New York premiere of Sean Neukom’s People; Enthusiasm Strategies by noted American composer Missy Mazzoli; and Dmitri Shostakovich’s haunting Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110. On the same day, the ensemble released a new album on NeuKraft Records entitled 131, named for Beethoven’s celebrated String Quartet No. 14 in C# Minor, Op. 131. In addition to the Beethoven, the recording includes Missy Mazzoli’s Enthusiasm Strategies and 19/20 by Beo violist and composer Sean Neukom. 

George Grella, covering the Morgan Library concert for New York Classical Review, wrote on February 1, 2023: 

Beo String Quartet makes an outstanding New York debut. ..These days that one expects exact intonation and clear articulation from quartets, at all speeds and dynamic levels…The Beo Quartet had all that technical facility, to which they added a sound that was grainy with a touch of velvet, robust and woody—superior technique wrapped in a classic sound. Inside the historic room of J.P. Morgan’s own library, in the company of books and music manuscripts, and with the space’s excellent acoustic, the sheer sound of the quartet was invigorating and deeply satisfying. As was their artistry, which came across in both the programming and the playing. With all this skill, passion, and strength, one expected great things from the Shostakovich performance, and the quartet did not disappoint. This was an ideal pairing of playing and compositional styles—the quartet’s sheer expressive force added tremendous weight to Shostakovich’s theme. 

And Frank Daykin, reviewing January 31, 2023 in The New York Concert Review, had this to say:  

“Beo” means: to bless, make happy, gladden, and delight. Based on this one introductory hearing, I believe the Beo String Quartet is poised to do just that, to an ever-widening circle of audiences... [they have] two areas of perfection—1) absolute purity of intonation, which was really evident in their Bach selections and 2) that supernatural one-ness of interpretive intent that animates the best quartets...The “heat” of Beo’s performance of [the Shostakovich Quartet No. 8] showed me that its strengths may lie in the traditional repertoire, despite their commitment to adventuresome commissioning and their admirable educational outreach angle—so necessary if there is to be an audience for this sort of thing at all in the future…Bravo Beo, I hope to hear many more good things from and about you for years to come. 

 The March/April 2023 issue of Fanfare includes several fine reviews of the new album 131. “In short, this is a hip, full-immersion quartet capable of far-reaching achievements...The Beo’s reading of the Beethoven is closely knit, deeply sincere, and engaging…this young ensemble has reached the essence of what it means to be inspired by Beethoven…The fusion of past and present makes this release resonate with our times as few CDs do. The recorded sound on the Beo’s own label is up to the highest standards.” – Peter Burwasser. And Ken Meltzer, in the same issue, wrote, “All told, a compelling, thought-provoking, and musically satisfying journey. I recommend it for your consideration.” 

Undaunted by artistic or logistical challenges, they play the masters in a variety of settings, collaborate with living composers, and explore technology’s capacity to the fullest. Called “an absolutely spectacular group of young, hungry musicians” by composer Marc Mellits, University of Chicago, and “an ensemble whose music-making speaks to the heart as well as the mind by composer Richard Danielpour, Curtis Institute for Music, Beo defies categorization. Works such as Haydn Recycled and Projection 1: Triple Quartet combine virtuosic quartet writing and staging in various forms. To date, Beo has performed more than 140 concert works, including some 65 world premieres, throughout Europe and the United States. 

Beo regularly collaborates with living composers including Richard Danielpour, Marc Mellits, Missy Mazzoli, Lawrence Dillon, Joel Hoffman, and Charles Nichols. As part of its annual residency with the Charlotte New Music Festival, Beo hosts an annual Composition Competition which yields a winning work selected from 100+ submissions. Every year, the quartet then records the composition and makes a point of programming it frequently in subsequent seasons. 

NeuKraft Records was recently founded so as to facilitate producing and distributing Beo’s numerous original projects without constraints of style or genre. Beo built a new, personalized recording studio space to conduct its recording, engineering, mastering, and live-streaming in-house using state-of-the-art equipment, giving the players direct control over the quality of the final product and greatly simplifying the production process. Projects released on the label include string quartet masterpieces, original art songs, and long-form concept albums. 

Music education outreach is essential to the quartet’s vision. Beo has earned a reputation for its thoughtfully crafted educational programs. Although disguised as entertainment, each show is designed to teach real chamber music skills and a love for classical music to students ranging from complete beginners to pre- professionals. Also in development is a publishing effort to make the student ensemble works of Richard Neukom—father to Beo founders Sean and Jason Neukom—a strings educator with 40+ years’ experience, available to elementary, middle, and high-school string ensemble educators. In some cases, these pieces have solo parts for Beo to play so they can be used as part of in-person clinics with student ensembles. Through its educational tours of elementary, middle, and high schools, short-term residencies at colleges and universities, and its annual residency at Dakota Chamber Music, Beo has shared these engaging experiences with more than 3,500 students to date. 

The name “Beo” derives from Latin, meaning “to make happy.” 

With new projects always in the works, be sure to stay in touch with all things Beo by subscribing to @beostringquartet on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and SoundCloud. Beo joined the roster of the Lisa Sapinkopf Artists in 2022.