Atwood Museum Summer Concert Series: Rasa Quartet

Rasa String Quartet explores the musical space where classical and folk traditions intersect and influence one another.

Formed in 2019, the Boston-based ensemble brings together violinists Emma Powell and Maura Shawn Scanlin, violist Kiyoshi Hayashi, and cellist Mina Kim, who are graduates of the New England Conservatory, the Shepherd School of Music, and Yale University.

The quartet has earned top prizes at competitions including Chamber Music in Yellow Springs, Plowman Chamber Music Competition, MTNA Chamber Music Competition, and the Associazione Europea di Musica e Comunicazione (Italy). They’ve also served as ensemble-in-residence at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Rasa has collaborated with renowned folk artists like Celtic harpist Maeve Gilchrist, Irish fiddler Liz Carroll, and singer-songwriter Judy Collins, and have performed across the U.S. and abroad at events like the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition, Celebrity Series of Boston, Newport Classical, Rockport Music, Jordan Hall, and the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival.

Their love of teaching has led to educational residencies at Bowdoin College, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, UMass Dartmouth, and Boston Music Project, among others. 

By exploring the connection between music and storytelling at the heart of folk traditions, Rasa delivers fresh, engaging performances that blend classical elegance with folk charm, celebrate global musical roots, and highlight underrepresented composers.

In Sanskrit, the term rasa refers to the indescribable power of art to move, inspire, and connect us—a quality Rasa String Quartet strives to embody in every performance.