Pegasus String Quartet

Pegasus String Quartet

Program: mixture of Classical & Pop Music, Works by Dvorak etc.

The Pegasus String Quartet Graduate Program was launched six years ago under the direction of Dr. Ayako Yonetani.

As a member of the Pegasus Quartet, graduate students are recruited internationally and nationally, and they earn the GTA position through a competitive entrance exam, audition, and interview.

The Pegasus String Quartet perform in many venues, including the Polasek Museum, Steinmetz Hall, Atlantic Arts Center and the Pugh Theater at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center.

· Ayako Yonetani, violin

See more on her website http://ayakoyonetani.com

Dr. Ayako Yonetani, a violin and viola professor at the University of Central Florida, began her violin studies in Kobe, Japan, at age five. A Juilliard graduate, she studied under Dorothy DeLay and later became her assistant. Yonetani is a celebrated soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician with performances worldwide. She has released acclaimed recordings, translated *Teaching Genius*, and leads UCF’s Graduate “Pegasus” String Quartet Program, promoting classical music’s tradition to future generations.

· Mike Perroud, violin

Mike Perroud began playing the violin after spotting the instrument hanging as a decoration in his living room. A year later, he was accepted into the Conservatoire de Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He continued his studies in Bulgaria, earning a Bachelor’s degree under Prof. Ginka Gichkova at the National Academy of Music in Sofia, followed by a Master’s in Interpretation at the University of Music in Nürnberg, Germany, under Dr. Reto Kuppel.

Perroud has participated in masterclasses with renowned musicians, including Shlomo Mintz, Zakhar Bron, and Pierre Amoyal, as well as the Miami and Parker Quartets. He has won prizes in Switzerland, Germany, and Bulgaria, performing as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe and the U.S.

Since 2017, he has co-led “Les Pinsons Divers,” a chamber ensemble performing in Swiss festivals. Currently, he studies chamber music at UCF in Orlando as part of the Pegasus String Quartet program.

· Jessica Trygstad, viola

Jessica Trygstad hails from the Midwest and has played music for over 10 years. Her music career began at a young age playing chamber music with the Dakota Academy of Performing Arts. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Music at Luther College, learning from Dr. Spencer Martin as her primary teacher. While at Luther, Jessica had the honor of serving as principal violist for the Symphony and Chamber Orchestra. A highlight of this time was when she led the viola section at the Wiener Konzerthaus in 2023. Jessica has enjoyed being the violist for the premiere graduate quartet Pegasus and studies with Dr. Ayako Yonetani. .

· Christopher Everett Cruz, cello

Native to Humacao, Puerto Rico, Christopher Everett Cruz is a cellist who graduated with his Bachelor in Music Performance and is now continuing his pursuit of a Master of Arts in Music under