the STORY OF Scorchio

Grammy winning Scorchio Quartet is hailed as a cutting edge electro-acoustic string quartet known for its artistry and eclecticism. Scorchio received the 2024 Grammy Award for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album for their collaboration on Carla Patullo’s album, So She Howls.

Formed at the request of David Bowie, who upon attending a performance of Martha Mooke, violist/producer of ASCAP's New Music Showcase, Thru The Walls, asked her to assemble a string quartet to perform with him at the 2001 Tibet House Benefit Concert produced by Philip Glass. Scorchio made it’s debut at Carnegie Hall performing Heroes and Silly Boy Blue with Bowie and an all star band including Philip Glass on piano and Moby on guitar. Happy with the collaboration, the legendary singer invited Scorchio into the studio to play on his 2002 release “Heathen” produced by Tony Visconti.

Scorchio has subsequently performed with Glass, Smith, Lou Reed, Trey Anastasio, Laurie Anderson, Phoebe Bridgers, Iggy Pop, Michael Stipe, Beatboxing legend RAHZEL, Sturgill Simpson, Flaming Lips, Vampire Weekend, Regina Spektor, David Byrne, Kronos Quartet and many others including Tibetan musicians Tenzin Choegyal and Techung.

Later that year, Scorchio again joined Bowie at Carnegie Hall in a landmark performance of Space Oddity conducted by Visconti featuring the double string quartet of Scorchio and Kronos Quartet, with Beastie Boys Adam Yauch on bass. Their 2003 appearance at the Tibet House Benefit included performances with Bowie, Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright and Ziggy Marley and marked their official status, along with the Patti Smith Band, as the “house" band at the annual event.

In 2010, Scorchio performed with Phish frontman Trey Anastasio at Princeton’s Richardson Auditorium leading to the release of “Trey Anastasio and the Scorchio Quintet: Live from Princeton", available on LivePhish.com.

Equally at home in Carnegie Hall or New York City nightspot The Cutting Room, Scorchio has appeared at Madison Square Garden with the British Pop band Blur and in front of 80,000 fans at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and the Governors Ball with Blur/Gorillaz lead singer Damon Albarn. In 2014, they joined Albarn on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, as well as radio shows for Sirius XM and WFUV.

As a Quintet (with bass), Scorchio’s concerts include their unique arrangements of the music by the artists they have performed with, including Trey Anastasio’s epic “Divided Sky” and Lou Reed’s “Ecstasy”. Scorchio members Martha Mooke, Leah Coloff and Gregg August have also contributed to their repertoire.  Scorchio has premiered works by composers of many genres including Tony Visconti, Joel Thome, Rahzel, Earl Rose, Alicia Svigals, Richard Sussman, and Anthony Cornicello.

The quartet has also recorded with Ziggy Marley, Angelique Kidjo, Linda Thompson, Dean and Britta and Charlie Winston and is featured in the award winning documentary “Inside the Perfect Circle: The Odyssey of Joel Thome” performing Thome’s mandala based work CeEsEs.

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