Described by one pretty important radio guy as “not classical…but not not classical” (David Srebnik, SiriusXM Classical Producer), Invoke continues to successfully dodge even the most valiant attempts at genre classification. The multi-instrumental band’s other ‘not-nots’ encompass traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism. Invoke weaves all of these styles together to create truly individual music, written by and for the group. 2018 was a banner year for the band, winning First Prize at the M-Prize International Chamber Arts competition in Ann Arbor, MI (Open Category), as well as First Prize in the Coltman Competition in Austin, TX, and most recently, the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, where they were named “New Music/New Places” Ensemble. Invoke was the Young Professional String Quartet in Residence at the University of Texas from 2016 to 2018, and the group has previously been selected to participate in the Emerging String Quartet Program at Stanford, as Artists in Residence at Strathmore, and as the Emerging Young Artist Quartet at Interlochen. Invoke has shared the stage with some of the most acclaimed ensembles in the country, ranging from the Ensō Quartet to the U.S. Army Field Band, and has also appeared with musicians in greatly varying genres – from chamber rock powerhouse San Fermin to DC beatboxer/rapper/spoons virtuoso Christylez Bacon. Invoke’s 2015 debut release Souls in the Mud, and their 2018 follow-up Furious Creek, both feature original works composed by and for the group, and the quartet has also performed and recorded numerous world premieres. Invoke believes in championing diverse American voices, including their ongoing commissioning project American Postcards, which asks composers to pick a time and place in American history and tell its story through Invoke’s unique artistry.