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An international music sensation.
GRAMMY-nominated Dallas String Quartet (DSQ) fuses classical and contemporary music on both traditional and electric strings. Often described as “Bach meets Bon Jovi,” DSQ draws comparisons to Lindsey Stirling, Vitamin String Quartet, Brooklyn Duo, and 2Cellos. With the 2024 release of their eighth album, ROMANI: The Untold Story, DSQ charted at #1 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart. Their 2022 album Love Always reached #2 on both the Classical Crossover and Classical Albums charts. DSQ’s genre-defying interpretations continue to grow a passionate global following across Pandora, Spotify, and YouTube.
DSQ is known for their eclectic renditions of everything from Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” to Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” to their collaboration, “You Are The Reason,” with The Piano Guys. DSQ has performed for Presidents Obama and Bush, with superstars like Ed Sheeran, Luke Combs and Ashley McBryde, at the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM Awards), for NBA and NFL organizations and their cover of Katy Perry’s “Firework” was featured on American Idol. Brands like Cartier, Delta, LinkedIn and more seek out the one-of-a-kind quartet, as did Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton who requested DSQ as the entertainment for their July 2021 wedding. DSQ is also featured on the 2025 GRAMMY-nominated album, “According to the Moon” by Cheryl B. Engelhardt and GEM. The core group is composed of violist Ion Zanca, violinists Valory Hight and Melissa Priller, and bassist Young Heo.
Keep up with Dallas String Quartet on their Website, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.
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ION ZANCA
PRODUCER & VIOLIST
Ion Zanca is a GRAMMY®-nominated artist, Billboard #1-charting composer, and one of the most innovative forces bridging classical and contemporary music today. Born in Romania and based in Dallas since 2002, Zanca has built a creative empire that spans classical performance, live entertainment production, and event entertainment — earning acclaim on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. Broadway World calls him “one of the most unique and visionary artists of our time.”
As the founder and principal of the Dallas String Quartet, Zanca led the group to a GRAMMY® nomination for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for According to the Moon, and charted at #1 on the Traditional Classical Albums Billboard Charts and Classical iTunes Album Charts with his original composition ROMANI: The Untold Story, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra. DSQ also reached #2 on the Classical Album and Classical Crossover Billboard Charts with their album “Love Always.” The ensemble has performed for multiple sitting U.S. Presidents, the NFL, the NBA, released a celebrated collaboration with The Piano Guys, performed at the wedding of music legends Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, and shared the stage with Josh Groban, Chicago, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Zanca is also the producer and bandleader of Q The Band, a premier luxury entertainment ensemble that has performed at Blake Shelton’s exclusive 30 #1 Hits celebration and shared the stage with Ed Sheeran and Luke Combs at the nationally televised Academy of Country Music Awards.
In 2025, Zanca produced Christmas at the Winspear, a full-scale holiday production at Dallas’s iconic Winspear Opera House, further cementing his vision as a world-class live entertainment producer. He is also the owner of IMZ Artists, a Dallas-based entertainment agency connecting top-tier talent with premier events across the industry.
A voting member of The Recording Academy and holder of a graduate degree in Music Performance from Southern Methodist University — where he studied under former Dallas Symphony Orchestra principal Ellen Rose — Zanca’s artistry as a violist has been celebrated across classical, jazz, and contemporary stages nationwide. He resides in Dallas with his wife, Estera, and his son Julian.
MELISSA PRILLER
VIOLINIST
Valory Hight
VIOLINIST
Valory Hight is a Virginia-native violinist known for her exceptional versatility and dynamic artistry. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Grammy-nominated Dallas String Quartet, appearing on the ensemble’s album ROMANI: The Untold Story as well as numerous DSQ singles.
Although classically trained, Valory’s career spans multiple genres. She has collaborated with Grammy-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin and contemporary Christian singer Lauren Daigle, and has performed alongside major artists including Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Ashley McBryde, Jason Aldean, and Smokey Robinson. Her ability to seamlessly blend classical precision with contemporary performance has made her a sought-after violinist across classical, country, pop, and gospel stages.
By age 25, Valory had performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall and David Geffen Hall in New York City, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, and the historic Rudolfinum in Prague, Czech Republic.
In 2023, Valory served as Concertmaster and led the national tour of the Vienna Light Orchestra, further establishing her leadership and artistry on the national stage.
Valory earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Bard College and Conservatory in 2019, where she studied with Shmuel Ashkenasi and Weigang Li. She later completed her Master of Music degree and Performer’s Diploma at Southern Methodist University as a recipient of the prestigious Meadows Artistic Scholarship, studying with Emanuel Borok, Aaron Boyd, and Alexander Sitkovetsky.
YOUNG HEO
BASS
Young Heo is a professional jazz bassist based in Dallas, Texas. Young had the opportunity to play in a professional setting with Ellis Marsalis, Adonis Rose, Delfaeyo Marsalis, Stefan Karlsson, and Bernard Wright, and recorded over twenty albums including One O’clock Lab Band 2013.
In 2011, Young was accepted on scholarship into the graduate jazz program at the University of North Texas. At the North Texas, Young performed with school’s top ensembles including the Two O’clock Lab Band and the Grammy-nominated One O’clock Lab Band. While in the band, he had opportunities to play with such players as Peter Erskine, Bob Moses, Mike Stern, and many other jazz artists around the world. Young was awarded by UNT music faculty as the Outstanding Graduate Jazz Studies Student for 2013.
Since the graduation from UNT, Young has been very busy with performing and teaching in Dallas.
JOEL WHITE
GUITARIST
Joel White is a professional guitarist in the DFW area. Originally from Houston, Texas, Joel began his musical studies on piano at age 6 and guitar at age 11. Joel attended the University of North Texas where he earned a degree in jazz performance. While at the university of North Texas, Joel studied with Jazz Guitar Professor Davy Mooney, and Arranging and Composition Professor Rich Derosa. As a member of the Grammy-Nominated One O’ Clock lab band, Joel performed with guest artists Maria Schneider, Gary Smulyan, Regina Carter, and performed at the Inaugural Jack Rudin Jazz Championship at Lincoln Center for judges Wynton Marsalis, Ron Carter, UNT Professor Almunus Tanya Darby, Jeff Hamilton, and Gary Smulyan. Two of Joel’s original compositions ‘Consumed’ and ‘Yet so far’ are featured on the band’s recording Lab 2020. Joel was also a member of the UNT Jazz Singers, which received a Downbeat magazine student ensemble award in 2019.
Joel currently maintains an busy schedule as a performer, arranger, and private instructor, playing across Texas and nationwide with the Dallas String Quartet.
EFREN GUZMAN JR.
PERCUSSIONIST
Efren Guzman Jr. ("Chiquis") stands out among his peers for his amazing flexibility and impeccable rhythm. He is equally gifted in all musical styles: classical, pops, Broadway, Latin, Jazz, Big Band, studio recordings, etc. His finesse, elegance and command of all kinds of percussion instruments, make him truly unique in the world of music. A complete musician, his piano and composition gifts are added attributes to an already stellar career.
Today, Efren performs regularly with Dallas best jazz players, such as John Adams, Brian Piper, Grammy nominated guitarist Russ Hewitt and the Dallas String Quartet among others. He is also drummer for the Plano and Irving Symphony orchestras and principal percussionist of the San Angelo Symphony orchestra. During the 2013 and 2014 seasons, he has also performed as a featured soloist with the Plano Symphony orchestra, the Dallas Pops orchestra, featuring Grammy award winner Kenny G, guitarist and recording artist Michael Thompson (guitarist for Cher, Reba McEntire, Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson and Celine Dion), the world acclaimed Canadian Brass as well as a special concert at the 2014 Comic Convention in Columbus, Ohio with "The Brehms" jazz ensemble as well as participating in the 2014 International Jazz Festival in Catalina Island in California. In 2015 he also performed with the internationally renowned Mariachi Vargas, "Time for Three" and the legendary Doc Severinsen. His latest CD recording with jazz guitarist/composer Andy Sparandeo will hit the market in 2018 and his latest videos "Hello" and "Despacito" with the Dallas String Quartet are available on YouTube.
Future engagements include a US tour with the Dallas String Quartet during 2017 as well as a new appointment as percussionist/drummer for singer Javier Aguilar.