The Formosa Quartet is the 2006 Tenth London International String Quartet Competition winners. In 2003 the quartet was formed for a tour of Taiwan, the land from which three of the current members hail. The four members are Jasmine Lin, Che-yen Chen, Ayano Ninomiya and Jacob Braun musicians who before forming as the Formosa had already gained established reputations as accomplished solo and chamber players.
The name Formosa means beautiful, this was the name which the Portuguese gave to the island of Taiwan so it was fitting that as the original four were all from Taiwan that they should adopt the name as their own when they formed originally in 2002. The quartet got together to tour their homeland, with Ru Pei on Cello, the two week tour was supposed to be just that but the magic was there and the rest, as they say, is history. The quartet put it better:
"The process of how we evolved into the quartet we are might be likened to
being in a drizzling rain. You get wetter and wetter by imperceptible degrees
and at some point-- though it's hard to say when -- you are drenched. After the
tour we simply took every opportunity of playing together that we could find
and three and a half years later found ourselves with the responsibilities and
challenges of a "real quartet."
2008 sees another busy year for Formosa after their autumn tour of the UK last year with festivals and dates across the United States, details can be found on the quartet's website which you can see
The Formosa Quartet.
Labels: classical music, formosa quartet, string quartet
The Atrium Quartet are Russia's most successful string quartet out side of their home land, them being the very first group from Russia to win two of the most prestigious competitions for quartets in the world. At the Wigmore Hall in 2003 Atrium burst on to the scene when they won the first prize at the London International String Quartet Competition and they also picked up the Audience Prize for the same performance of the fifth string quartet of Shostakovich. This was their debut on Radio 3 in the UK and in the same year following the success they went on to record their debut single on EMI Classics. Quite a start for a new quartet but it doesn't stop there with recent success at the 5th International String Quartet Competition in Bordeaux in 2007 all of the jury awarded them the Premier Grand Prix and the Prix MMSG.
The musicians making up Atrium are Anna Gorelova (cello), Dmitry Pitulko (viola), Anton Ilyunin (violin) and Alexey Naumenko(Violin). Alexey was the original founder of the quartet in 2000 along with Anton, Dmitry joined in 2004.
If you are interested in future dates when the Atrium Quartet will be performing why not get in touch or you can visit their website for more news and information by clicking here
ATRIUM QUARTET .
Labels: classical music string quartet, The Atrium Quartet
This week we are going to talk about one of the most exciting and critically acclaimed string quartets in Europe; Casals Quartet. In 1997 at the Escula Reina Sofia in Madrid under Professor Antonello Farulli the quartet, Cuarteto Casals, habla en Español, has grown to become probably the most recognisable and well regarded young quartets in the world today.
Needless to say they have won many prestigious prizes in competition including our very own London International String Quartet top prize in 2000 and later in the same year went on to be honoured with the Catalonia Music Critics Prize.
September 2005 saw the release of their triple disc recording of early quartets and divertimenti of W.A. Mozart, this was the quartets third recording for general release with Harmonia Mundi following the success of their previous offering which paired the lone quartet of Claude Debussy with Alexander Zemlinskys second quartet. And the list goes on to include some of Europe most revered composers such as David del Puerto, James MacMillan and Gyorgy Kurtag.
The Players
Vera Martinez Mehner began to play the violin at the age of five studying at the Escuela Superior de Musica in Madrid with Sergei Fatkouline and Zakhar Bron. Since Vera has won various first and second prizes including the Best Interpretation of a Classical Work at the international violin competition Kloster Schöntal in 1995 and Second Prize at the International Henry Wieniawsky Competition in Poland in 1997, she has played parlour music with Marta Gulyàs and Gerard Caussé.
Violinist Abel Tomàs was born in Barcelona in 1980 and began to play the violin seven years old Like Vera he studied with Zakhar Bron and Sergei Fatkouline at the Escuela Superior de Música in Madrid for three years ninety five onward. Abel completed his studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne with Viktor Tretjakov.
Jonathon Brown started his musical life as a violinist at the tender age of four, at the age of twelve he took up the viola where he played the instrument in chamber music groups in his native Chicago, USA. Some will recognise Jonathon from Camerata Salzburg where he was Principal Violist of the Juilliard Symphony and New Juilliard Ensemble.
Last but by no means least we have the founder member of the Casals Quartet Arnau Tomas Realp, our Cello player. Born in Barcelona in 1973 it was the piano which gave him his first insight into playing music at the age of six going on to the Cello at twelve. Arnau has won First Prize at competitions including Germans Claret in 1990, Ciutat de Manresa and Permanente de Juventudes Musicales de España in 1996 and Second Prize at the international competition Jonge Talenten in Holland in 1991. One year later he was invited by the Concergebauw in Amsterdam to participate in a Masterclass with YoYo Ma which was subsequently broadcast on television throughout Holland.
Labels: Casals Quartet, string quartet
A string quartet is a group of musicians who come together to play classical or chamber music, them being comprised usually of two violin players, a viola player and a cellist. There are other combinations of stringed instrument but this is widely recognised as the classic format.
Music was first played in this form in the eighteenth century with Joseph Haydens compositions for the string quartet being played in five movements, this was restructured to four and that became the standard formula. Haydens is recognised as the father of the string quartet.
Here at Play Quartet we help to promote the discovery and development of talent and audiences for the String Quartet by holding musical and educational events here in London where you will find established international performers and the showcasing of up and coming talent. It is our aim to uphold what we consider to be the very essence of musical performance, a pure form of music which cannot be surpassed in the way that it allows interpretation to be wide and varied whilst pertaining to the original vision of the composer.
Labels: chamber music, classical music, string quartet
Founded in 1979 at the instigation of Yehudi Menuhin, the London International String Quartet Competition was one of the first and is today the most prestigious competition for string quartets in the world. At first in Portsmouth, and since 1991 in London, the Competition created by Yehudi Menuhin has attracted entries from all over the world including the USA, Europe, Japan, Russia and China. Past prize winners comprise a veritable roll call of world famous and well established quartets performing today such as the Takacs, Endellion, Wihan, Hagen, Vellinger, Alexander, Belcea and Vanbrugh Quartets, to name just a few.
For the Ninth Competition a number of changes and enhancements were suggested by Yehudi Menuhin with three main aims to bring the Competition closer to audiences, closer to the professional world of chamber music and to increase the support for prize winners. Following a tough pre-competition stage, 11 quartets from eight countries were invited to compete in the preliminary rounds at the Royal Academy of Music. From 5-7 April 2003 the competing quartets performed in the RAM's rehearsal rooms and fine concert hall, the Duke's Hall. The quartets that reached the all Beethoven Semi final on 8 April and the Final on 9 April played at the world renowned Wigmore Hall. ITV newscaster and Classic FM presenter Katie Derham presented the prizes on 9 April.
Yehudi Menuhin suggested that the repertoire for the Competition should be allowed more freedom of choice for competing quartets. While more emphasis was placed on 20th century works, the classical period was well represented with late Mozart quartets in the preliminary rounds and an all Beethoven Semi final.
The Competition also increased its prize money, making it one of the highest awards in the world for such an event. In addition, the winning quartets click here for information on the winners received significant non cash, developmental prizes to include a UK concert tour; a UK and French residency; use of fine instruments; coaching with top ranking quartets and musicians; BBC Radio 3 broadcasts; a return visit to perform in London and an EMI Classics Debut Series recording.
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