Nerida Quartet: Where Music and Myth Intertwine

Stories | July 6, 2025

A Passion-Driven Journey Built on Friendship

The Nerida Quartet began its journey in 2018, founded by violinists Nevena Toshev and Saskia Niehl, alongside two other members. United by a love for chamber music and the spontaneity of a successful sight-reading session, the quartet was born in the musical hub of Bonn, Switzerland. Over the years, the group evolved – violists Grace Leehan and Jeffrey Armstrong, and cellist Nadja Reich joined the Quartet. Despite lineup changes, the ensemble’s heart remains rooted in friendship, respect, and a shared curiosity.

Part of the Merita Project

As part of the EU-funded Merita Project, aiming to explore new applications of classical music, the quartet challenged themselves to incorporate their performance into another art form. The result was a creative partnership with Greek storyteller, weaving together narrative, myth, and sound in novel and expressive ways.

Telling Stories Through Sound

As the topic of the project was “Music and Other Arts,” the quartet decided to explore storytelling – something that came very organically with the emotional depth of music they had chosen: Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and Black Angels by Crumb. These intense, dramatic works became the foundation for a performance that explored the darker, more complex sides of human nature, inspired by ancient legends and fairy tales.

Even though the storyteller performed in Greek, a language which none of the quartet members speak, the chemistry was intense. By tone, rhythm, and intuitive sense, the two arts started communicating in a shared language.

Creating Across Cultures

Working in Athens, the quartet immersed themselves in the local culture, where storytelling is deeply embedded in tradition. As much as classical music may not be as widespread in Greece, this mixture of familiar myth and unfamiliar compositions introduced audiences to experience both in new ways.

The team rehearsed for long days in a theater space often with minimal natural light focusing their effort on telling the story, working on entrances, and refining the audio and voice. Although the timeline was limited, the improvised nature often led to serendipitous moments of beauty.

A Unique Performance Experience

This type of performance – blending live narration and string quartet music – is maybe a world first. It offers something deeply immersive and emotional, inviting people to connect with their own memory and inner world. The quartet sees it as an invitation to feel, to imagine, and to think.

Looking Forward

Offstage, the Nerida Quartet appreciates how they work together: openly, respectfully, and with kindness. Their intention is to keep creating projects that are not just artfully ambitious but also sustainable in how they work.

The experience in Athens was a foundation for future plans, evidence that music, when blended with narrative and cultural exchange, can result in something life-changing.

Gratitude and Next Steps

The quartet expressed their sincere thanks to the Merita Platform and the local foundation in Athens for making the experience possible. They return home inspired by new artistic perspectives and a deeper sense of what it means to be a modern, collaborative quartet.

“We’re very thankful for this week. It gave us new meaning and a new understanding of what it means to be a quartet today.”