Insects & Machines is the 3rd album at NativeDSD from the Jasper String Quartet.  It follows their earlier albums Unbound and The Kernis Project: Debussy in our Sono Luminus catalog. Insects and Machines features Quartets composed by Vivian Fung.

Vivian Fung has long been a friend and admired composer of the Jasper String Quartet. The Quartet first performed one of her works in 2019, and we were immediately captivated by the visceral energy and impeccable craft of her writing.

Vivian’s String Quartets Nos. 1–4 span 18 years of her career and reflect a remarkable journey of absorbing, integrating, and synthesizing a unique spectrum of influences into her compositional voice. Unwavering in all of the works is a fierce heart, instrumental fearlessness, and an amazing instinct for texture. The Jasper String Quartet says “We are incredibly grateful to have recorded these works with Vivian in the studio and for the growth we experienced in the process.”

Composer Vivian Fung says “This album is a testimonial to my lifelong adoration of strings, dating back to my beginning cello studies as a middle school student. My cello teacher introduced me to a wide-ranging repertoire and opened up my sonic world with the sound of string quartets, concerti, and Baroque instruments.

The string quartet format, in particular, has gripped my imagination since writing Pizzicato, which I originally wrote as a standalone work and later incorporated as the third movement of String Quartet No. 1 and continues to be one of my most performed pieces.

Many thank yous to the Jasper String Quartet for their dedication to this project; to my husband, son, and parents for their support; and to everyone at Sono Luminus for producing this wonderful album.”

Jasper String Quartet
J Freivogel, Violin
Karen Kim, Violin
Andrew Gonzalez, Viola
Rachel Henderson Freivogel, Cello