our story

Joyce and Hanna grew up together in Des Moines. Although they went to different high schools, they shared the same group of friends - musicians! When they both moved back to Des Moines in the early 2010s, they reconnected and started playing in various local ensembles. They always had a desire to play in a smaller, chamber ensemble, though - and to share this music with the community.

Nina started working with Hanna at Principal in 2015. Joyce and Hanna had grown up with Nina’s older sister, and they all connected over their shared background of playing music and wanting to create beautiful chamber music. As they talked about the type of music they wanted to create, they all felt the constraints of traditional classical music despite being in a creative space. They wanted to play music that was more fun, accessible, and modern while still staying true to their classical roots. Think - “Tears for Fears” and “Beethoven!”

And so they connected with a local cellist, Paul, whom Nina had gone to Drake University with, and formed Quartet 515.

Nearly a decade later, we’ve celebrated as Nina and Paul have moved cities and embarked on new adventures. We’ve welcomed new musicians - Robert Espe and Patrick Riley - to our group. While some of our faces have changed, our commitment to our original goals have not changed…

To bring a modern perspective to the classical string quartet