Quartet
The award-winning Veronika String Quartet (VSQ) established itself as an outstanding ensemble since its formation in Moscow in 1989. The group is known for its versatility and “extraordinary musicianship”. The unique sound of the VSQ has led to success in international competitions as well as in concert halls throughout the U.S. and abroad.
The Quartet distinguished itself early in its career with top prizes in string quartet competitions in St. Petersburg and Moscow, leading to triumphs at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and the Chamber Music at Yellow Springs Competition (OH). The VSQ has performed widely in the U.S., Australia, Europe, Russia, and the Middle East, and currently resides in Southern Colorado. The VSQ has contributed immensely to the revitalization of classical music in the Southwest, performing in a vast array of venues to a dramatically increasing audience base. Recognized throughout the state of Colorado, the quartet has appeared frequently on NPR’s Colorado Spotlight Series and regularly receives grants from the Colorado Council on the Arts for launching its own popular and critically-acclaimed concert series in Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Highlights of these exciting live performances can be found on YouTube. Known for its innovative programming, the VSQ is committed to performing a wide range of repertoire, from beloved classics to neglected masterpieces.
The VSQ has championed compositions by contemporary American composers in premieres and recordings, including works by Charles Eakin, Carlton Gamer, Lawrence Leighton Smith, and Augusta Read Thomas. Collaborations with leading chamber musicians further increases the versatility of the VSQ, and include performances with the American and Fine Arts Quartets, Martin Lovett of the Amadeus Quartet, clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, and pianists James Tocco and Ruth Laredo. The Quartet has recorded for Warner Brothers, Narada, and Northword Press. The Veronika String Quartet served as Artists-in-Residence at Colorado State University-Pueblo for nearly twelve years. The group is currently Quartet in Residence at the Ascension Episcopal Church in Pueblo, CO.
Veronika Afanassieva
Veronika Afanassieva, Violin, was born and raised in Novosibirsk. She started playing
the violin at the age of seven and studied over the next several years with Arnold Kobyliansky, Alexei Kiselev and Marc Meinbach, earning an MM degree at the Gnesins'
Russian Academy of Music in Moscow, Russia. Veronika is a founding member of the Veronika String Quartet, which started its career in 1989 under the tutelage of Borodin
String Quartet cellist Valentin Berlinsky. After moving to the US, she continued her violin studies with Ralph Evans and Kurt Sassmannshaus. She also studied chamber music
with Henry W. Meyer and members of the Fine Arts Quartet. Veronika was an artist-in-residence at CSU-Pueblo from 1999 to 2011. She has also additionally
managed to have an extensive group of private students.
Karine Garibova
Karine Garibova, Violin, was born and raised in Moscow. She started playing violin at the age of six,
and was accepted at Gnessin’s Moscow Special Music School, where she studied with Irina Svetlova and Helen Mazor. In 1985 she was accepted at Gnessin’s Academy of Music, where she
studied with Khalida Akhtyamova. During her college years her quartet won first prize in a Russian national competition of student string quartets; she earned a DMA from the Gnesins'
Russian Academy of Music in Moscow, Russia. In the US Karine studied violin with Efim Boico and Peter Miliawsky. She studied chamber music with Henry W. Meyer, members of the Fine Arts
Quartet and Valentin Berlinsky. Karine is a founding member of the Veronika String Quartet. Karine was an artist-in-residence at CSU-Pueblo from 1999 to 2011. Since 2000 Karine has also been playing with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, where she became Associate Principal Second Violin in 2004. She teaches privately in
Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Karine coaches the Colorado SpringsYouth Symphony Chamber Program and Sectionals
Ekaterina Dobrotvorskaia
Violist Ekaterina Dobrotvorskaia was born in the historic Russian town of Vladimir to
a family of musicians. She started playing violin at age five, and at age ten was accepted to the Central Music School for musically gifted children at the Moscow State Conservatory.
Ms. Dobrotvorskaia graduated from the Central Music School in viola performance in 1993. She received a M.M. in music performance from the Moscow Conservatory in 1998, with certificates
in solo, chamber, and orchestral performance. Her education also includes special training in music pedagody. She studied viola with Galina Vakhromeeva-Odinetz, one of the
leading viola professors in Moscow. Additionally, Ms. Dobrotvorskaia pursued chamber music studies with Alexander Korchagin of the Shostakovich String Quartet. She has received numerous
scholarships and awards and was selected by the Moscow State Conservatory to attend master classes in Russia and Europe.
Ms. Dobrotvorskaia's active performing career has included extensive tours of Australia, Israel, Cyprus, Switzerland, France and Germany. She has performed as a member of
the Tempera String Quartet. This quartet was selected from an international pool of applicants to represent Russia for a competition in Melbourne, Australia. Ms. Dobrotvorskaia served as
Principal Violist of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra in Moscow. Other performing credits include the Moscovia Chamber Orchestra and the Russian Philharmonia Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Dobrotvorskaia joined the Veronika String Quartet in November of 2000. She was
Principal Violist of the Pueblo Symphony for 10 years, and an Artist-in-Residence at Colorado State University–Pueblo for 11 years. She frequently makes solo appearances and collaborates with local musicians in chamber music performances. She has been a member of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic since 2008. She coaches the Colorado SpringsYouth Symphony Chamber Program and Sectionals