About

Each a strong artistic force of her own, Pi Quartet emerged out of genuine friendship, through the shared exploration of contemporary classical music, and the forsaking of rules. The ensemble originated in Den Haag comprising Leah Plave (cello), Lidwine Dam (viola), Leslee Smucker (violin), and Hoei Lien The (violin). Pi Quartet is united by the vision of what a 21st century string quartet can be. They are deeply motivated by a love for spirited music and a drive to challenge the way meaningful concerts are conceived. Pi Quartet performs almost exclusively music by living composers and collaborates with artists across genres and disciplines.

They are the resident string quartet of Spaceship Ensemble, a technology‑centric new music collective with whom they appear regularly at festivals throughout the Netherlands such as Dag in de Branding, Birds of Paradise, and De Link. Some of Pi Quartet’s recent collaborators include Joey Roukens, Tony Njoku, and Zola Jesus. Since 2025, they have also served as a quartet in residence at the Netherlands String Quartet Academy.

The name "Pi," (π), symbolizes infinite possibilities surrounding a performance space and reflects their open, unconventional approach to their practice. The quartet is known for performing facing inward toward each other, allowing the audience to sit surrounding them and enjoy an alternative perspective on sound and engagement. Their performances always include discussions with the audiences and whenever possible, an introduction of a piece by the composer themself.

Lidwine Dam studied viola at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, during which she was a member of the Dutch National Orchestra, European Student Chamber Orchestra, and Schleswig Holstein Musik Festival Orchestra Academy. Her interest in contemporary music began with projects of the Ligeti Academy. For many years, she was a member of the new music collective Oerknal. Nowadays, she performs with Noord Nederlands Orkest, Phion, and Philharmonie Zuid-Nederland.

Hoei Lien The is a Dutch violinist based in The Hague. She has played in ensembles such as Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Camerata Nordica, Silk Street Sinfonia, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Antwerp Philharmonic. Her studies included the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Artists Fellowship Programme, and Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Cellist Leah Plave embraces not only classical but contemporary, electronic, non-western, and experimental music. She frequently collaborates with living composers and is drawn towards cross-cultural chamber music. She performs with ensembles such as B.O.X Ensemble, Pi Quartet, Spaceship Ensemble, London Film Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the 18th Century. She makes frequent appearances at European festivals, recently including Rewire, November Music, Haarlem Vinyl, Vers Fuur, Rubirock, and Angelica Festival Internazionale di Musica.

Leslee Smucker is a violinist, composer-improviser, and interdisciplinary artist. She performs with contemporary ensembles including Modelo62, Barnes Ensemble, International Contemporary Ensemble, and has presented solo work at festivals including Rewire, Center for New Music, Sound or Not, Composing Spaces, and Audiomanza. Her album Breathing Landscape was included in Bandcamp’s Best Experimental Music of 2024. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Colorado Boulder.