Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often daring repertoire choices, over the past two decades the Pacifica Quartet has gained international stature as one of the finest chamber ensembles performing today. The Pacifica tours extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, performing regularly in the world’s major concert halls. Named the quartet-in-residence at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in 2012, the Pacifica was also the quartet-in-residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2009–2012)—a position that has otherwise been held only by the Guarneri String Quartet—and received the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance.

Formed in 1994, the Pacifica Quartet quickly won chamber music’s top competitions, including the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award. In 2002 the ensemble was honoured with Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award and the appointment to Lincoln Center’s CMS Two, and in 2006 was awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, becoming only the second chamber ensemble so honoured in the Grant’s long history. In 2009 the Quartet was named ‘Ensemble of the Year’ by Musical America. An ardent advocate of contemporary music, the Pacifica Quartet commissions and performs many new works, by composers including Keeril Makan and Shulamit Ran.

The members of the Pacifica Quartet live in Bloomington, Indiana, where they are full-time faculty members at the Jacobs School of Music. Prior to their appointment, the Quartet was on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana from 2003 to 2012. The Pacifica Quartet also serves as resident performing artist at the University of Chicago.

The Pacifica Quartet is endorsed by D’Addario and proudly uses their strings.