The Fiato Quartet, winner of the 2022 Beverly Hills National Auditions, was formed in 2008. Its members are Carrie Kennedy and Joel Pargman, violins, Aaron Oltman, viola and Ryan Sweeney, cello. The members of Fiato hold degrees in music performance from the University of Southern California, Rice University, Northwestern University, and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

The musicians of Fiato currently have active concert careers throughout Southern California. They are members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pasadena Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, New West Symphony, and Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. As studio musicians in Los Angeles, they also record music for motion pictures, television and records.

Fiato has performed on many chamber music series in the Los Angeles area including The Music Guild, South Bay Chamber Music Society, South Pasadena Library’s Restoration Concert Series, LA Musical Salon, UCLA’s Henry Bruman Chamber Music Festival, Magical Music at the Mill, Brand Associates Music Series, Westwood Public Library series, Edendale Up Close, Live at the Lounge, Glendale’s Music at Noon, LA City College’s Music 152, Pasadena Presbyterian’s Music at Noon, Music at Mimoda, Huntington Garden’s “Music in the Rose Garden,” and the Wine and Wheels series. In August of 2012, Fiato toured Costa Rica as part of the Festival De Musica Credomatic with performances in Guanacaste, San Jose, Hacienda Pinilla, and Villa Caletas. As of 2012, Fiato Quartet is an official ensemble of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

In addition to the standard quartet repertoire, Fiato has a passion for new music. Over the years they have premiered ten new string quartets by local composers, including works by Julia Adolphe and Adam Schoenberg. Each member of Fiato brings a unique set of experiences and training to the ensemble, having studied with the Tokyo, Takacs, Guarneri, American, Miami and Emerson Quartets. The Fiato Quartet has come together out of a love for chamber music and a common goal to share this passion with others through both formal and outreach concerts.

Carrie Kennedy, violin

Joel Pargman, violin

Aaron Oltman, viola

Ryan Sweeney, cello

Award-winning violinist, Carrie Kennedy, has been the featured soloist with orchestras throughout the United States including the San Antonio, Richardson, University of Southern California, Torrance, Suburban, Brevard Festival, Clear Lake, Westchester, Solano, and Magic Valley Symphonies. She has also given concerts in twelve U.S. states and eleven countries. Read more at carriecelestekennedy.com

Joel Pargman, violin, is a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, and the Pasadena Symphony. As a member of the Denali Quartet, Pargman spent eight years as artist-in-residence for Santa Monica’s acclaimed “Jacaranda” concert series. He has premiered new works by composers Andrew Norman, Donald Crockett, and Ben Johnston, among others. Read more at www.joelpargman.com

Aaron Oltman has performed with many of the orchestras in the Southern California area, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Pasadena Symphony, and New West Symphony. He has appeared in chamber music concerts for the Camerata Pacifica, Sundays Live at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the South Bay Chamber Music Society, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Green Umbrella series, and is active in the Recording Industry.

A graduate of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, Ryan Sweeney returned to his home town of Pasadena, California in 2005 to pursue his career as a performing artist and to help young cellists develop their own talents. During this time, Mr. Sweeney has frequently performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Pasadena Symphony Orchestra, and Pasadena Pops. He is also an active performer for the soundtracks of major Hollywood motion pictures. His credits include “Spider-Man 3”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”, “All the King’s Men”, and “Click”. Read more at ryansweeneycellist.com