About

The award-winning Veronika String Quartet (VSQ) established itself as an outstanding ensemble very early in 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 by winning  top prizes in string quartet competitions in St. Petersburg and Moscow. These were followed by triumphs at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and  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 dramatically increasing audience numbers.

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. The Denver Post featured the Veronika String Quartet in an article on Oct.7, 2012, calling them one of Colorado’s five best chamber music groups performing today. “Colorado’s chamber-music scene is as rich as it is diverse. So we thought we’d call out the premiere ensembles in the state and introduce you to a few professional chamber-music groups worth hearing,” writes the Denver Post.

Highlights of exciting live performances of the VSQ can be found on YouTube.

Known for its innovative programming, the Quartet is committed to performing a wide range of repertoire, from beloved classics to neglected masterpieces.

The VSQ has championed 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 has further increased the versatility of the VSQ. These 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 VSQ became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2005. The mission  of the VSQ is to foster an appreciation of string quartet music through inspiring performances and Innovative educational programs. 

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 Springs Youth 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.





Scott Kluksdahl 

Scott Kluksdahl made his debut with The San Francisco Symphony, and has been heard as chamber musician, recitalist and soloist in the United States, Europe, Israel and Latin America. His particular interest in modern music has led to significant affiliations with Robert Helps, Richard Wernick, Richard Brodhead, David Del Tredici and Augusta Read Thomas. Scott performed the 2010 premiere of Philip Lasser’s Vocalise for Cello and Orchestra with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall, and he is very excited by the 2011 release of his latest CD “Shelter” on the Pierian label with the rising star soprano Mela Dailey in works by C-20/C-21 composers Andre Previn, John Tavener, Robert Honstein, Jake Heggie and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Scott was a founding member of the Lions Gate Trio, and he performed and recorded for twenty years as its cellist. He has recorded on CRI, Albany, Triton and Centaur labels. He has well-established musical partnerships with pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera, violist Carol Rodland, and with soprano Mela Dailey. He is founder of the Robert Helps Festival of Contemporary Music, artistic director since its inception in 2005. He has recently joined the award-winning Veronika String Quartet. Scott has received Tanglewood’s Leonard Bernstein Fellowship, prizes in Naumburg and Washington International Competitions, and degrees from Harvard and Juilliard. He teaches cello at University of South Florida, and he tutors science/math/reading for fifth-grade students in Florida’s Hillsborough County Public School System. Inspired by the Rochester-based initiative, Scott serves as Tampa’s artistic director for the recently established food-for-music outreach concert series “If Music Be The Food…..” at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. His commitment to teaching prompted the renowned cellist Zara Nelsova to remark, “It is rare to find a cellist who is equally at home as a concert artist as well as a great pedagogue. In my opinion Scott Kluksdahl has one of the great talents of his generation.”