The Shepherd University Department of Music Salon Series sponsored by Jefferson Security Bank continues on Thursday, March 1, at 8 p.m. in the Frank Center’s W.H. Shipley Recital Hall with the Argot String Quartet. The program will include Beethoven’s “Quartet Op. 18 n. 4 in C minor”, Dvorak’s “American" Quartet, Foote’s “Nocturne and Scherzo for Flute and String Quartet”, and Piazzolla’s “Four for Tango.”

Based in Frederick, MD, the classical ensemble features violinist Marjory Serrano, violinist Jie Hyue Kim, violist Jason Diggs, and Shepherd adjunct professor, cellist Camilo Perez-Mejia. Formed at Shenandoah Conservatory under the guidance of C. Thomas Shaw and Doris Lederer of the Audubon String Quartet in the fall of 2006. For two years, the group studied and performed works by Beethoven, Shostakovich, Gershwin, Smetana, Piazzola, and others, in multiple concerts both for their course work and professionally. After pursuing their individual musical careers, three of the original members reunited in 2015, along with a new friend and colleague, and the Argot String Quartet has been inspiring audiences ever since, with their exceptional communication and musicianship.

Shepherd University cello professor and one of the founding members of the Argot String Quartet, Camilo Pérez-Mejía earned a Bachelor of Music from the Universida Javeriana in Bogatá, Colombia. Upon moving to the United States, he began studying at Shenandoah Conservatory. He earned his M.M. in Cello Performance while studying with Julian Tryczynski, cellist of Trio Cracovia. He then began working on his DMA, under C. Thomas Shaw of the Audubon quartet. In the fall of 2006, he became one of the founding members of Argot. He simultaneously completed all of the courses in his doctoral program and earned and Artist Diploma in Quartet Studies with ensemble. He received soloist awards from the Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia, Universidad Javeriana and Shenandoah Conservatory. He has perfomed as a member of diverse ensembles in Colombia, Italy, Mexico, and Brazil; and throughout Virginia, west Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. In addition to the Argot String Quartet, he performs regularly with the Flute/Cello duo Entropy in Two, the Temple Trio, and is the principal cellist for the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Greater Washington, Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra, and the National String Symphonia. He is also the conductor for the Charles Washington Symphony Orchestra and co-conductor of the Shepherd Community Orchestra.

Violinist Dr. Marjory Serrano, also a founding member of Argot, began her violin studies at age seven, studying at the Aragua Symphony Foundation in Venezuela and the Academia Latinoamericana de Violin with Jose Francisco del Castillo and Sergio Celis. She the came to the U.S. to study at the Shenandoah Conservatory under Marc Ramirez and Akemi Takayama. While at Shenanoah, she also completed an Artist Diploma in Quartet Studies under the guidance of Doris Lederer and C. Thomas Shaw. She completed her doctorate under Jody Gatwood at Catholic University. Dr. Serrano has also performed in various solo and chamber master classes with Midori, Anne Akiko Meyers, Christoph Wyneken and pianist John O'Conor. In addition to Argot, Dr. Serrano maintains a busy schedule performing with the Ars Nova Chamber Players, and serves as concert master for both the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Greater Washington and the National String Symphonia, as well as adjunct violin professor at Frederick Community College.

Violist Jason Diggs, began studying violin at the age nine in Baltimore City public schools. He received his B.M. in viola and Artist Diploma in Quartet Studies from Shenandoah Conservatory and is one of the founding members of Argot. His teachers included Doris Lederer and C. Thomas Shaw of the Audubon Quartet, and Olivia Hajioff and Marc Ramirez of the MarcOliva Duo. He received his M.M. in viola performance from the San Francisco Conservatory under the instruction of Jodi Levitz of the Ives Quartet and received chamber instruction from pianist/violist Paul Hersh and violinist Axel Strauss. He has participated in chamber masterclasses given by Kim Kashkashian, Christoph Wyneken, John O'Conor, and the Juilliard Quartet as well as an orchestral master class given by Sir Simon Rattle serving as principal viola. In addition to Argot, Mr. Diggs performs with several orchestras including The Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, The National Philharmonic, Harrisburg Symphony, Maryland Symphony , Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra and is the principal violist of the National String Symphonia. He was the violist in the Foreign Landscapes CD by Hauschka, principal violist for the R. Kreutzer Violin Concertos 17-19 CD released by Naxos featuring violinist Axel Strauss, and violist for the 2008 Grammy nominated album Indigo Road by lutanist Ron Mcfarlane.

A native of Daejeon, South Korea, Jie Hyue Kim, began studying violin at the age eight. She completed her undergraduate work at the Chung Nam National University in South Korea, and her Masters at Queens College, CUNY where she studied with Daniel Phillips of the Orion Quartet. She received her D.M.A. from Catholic University. As an orchestral musician Dr. Kim has performed at New York’s Merkin Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. She currently serves as the assistant concert master for the National String Symphonia and principal second violin of the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, VA. As a soloist, Dr. Kim has been invited to play with the NOVA philharmonic, Queensboro Symphony Orchestras in New York and the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra in Virginia. She has also participated in the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria, Virginia's Blue Ridge Music Festival, and the Castleton Music Festival Orchestra under Lorin Maazel. She is also a founding member of the prize winning Eclat Piano Trio. Dr. Kim is also an actively arranges an orchestrates music for the Epiphany Catholic Church in D.C., Open Door Ensemble in VA, and has provided her services for the Washington Korean Symphony Orchestra. Some of her notable contribution were for the Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Concert, NAPAW Memorial Concert, the 2011 Peace concert at the Kennedy Center, and for various events at the Korean Embassy.

Salon Series concerts are all free and open to the public. General seating is limited to 120.