Julia returns with her musician friends in a new program featuring works for string quartet and soprano, an ensemble of particular beauty and narrative power. Presenting works by Caroline Shaw as well as a a freshly commissioned piece by San Diego based composed Tommy Dougherty the quartet looks forward to wowing the Blanco crowd up close.

As members of the San Diego Symphony, long time friends Jing Yan Bowcott and Julia Pautz were thrilled when kismet sent the matched set of long time friends Abraham Martin and Nathan Walhout to join the orchestra at the same time. Through the pandemic the four discovered a remarkable shared musical chemistry, and recently have performed for a wide range of audiences in California and Mexico - from thousands of migrant children housed at the convention center in San Diego, to symphony donors onstage at The Rady Shell, to delighted community members at libraries, museums, and concert halls across the region.
As a string quartet Artonic believes that musical conversations - onstage with instruments and offstage with patrons - create the best performances. They believe that by juxtaposing historical and pop music, 21st century cutting edge music written by diverse people with the classics, new joy can be discovered by audiences and musicians alike.
As a string quartet Artonic believes that musical conversations - onstage with instruments and offstage with patrons - create the best performances. They believe that by juxtaposing historical and pop music, 21st century cutting edge music written by diverse people with the classics, new joy can be discovered by audiences and musicians alike.

Soprano Tasha Koontz has performed leading roles with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Opera, Central City Opera, & Opera on the Avalon. Her repertoire includes the roles of Violetta in La traviata, Alice Ford in Falstaff, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, & the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro.
Equally comfortable on the concert stage, she has performed as a soloist with the San Diego Symphony, La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, Chicago Arts Orchestra, Newfoundland Orchestra, Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra, Spokane Symphony Orchestra.
Equally comfortable on the concert stage, she has performed as a soloist with the San Diego Symphony, La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, Chicago Arts Orchestra, Newfoundland Orchestra, Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra, Spokane Symphony Orchestra.