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17 February: The Barbican Quartet
Formed in 2014 at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, The Barbican Quartet is currently a part of the Quatuor Ébène String Quartet Academy at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, where they are also mentored by Eberhard Feltz. They studied with Günter Pichler at the Escuela de Musica Reina Sofia Madrid between 2017-2023. Other notable influences include Ferenc Rados, Andras Keller, Oliver Wille, David Watkin, Krzysztof Chorzelski and David Waterman.
In 2022, the quartet won the First Prize at the 71st ARD International String Quartet Competition, where they were also awarded the special prize for Best Interpretation of the commissioned work by Dobrinka Tabakova, the Genuin Classics prize, the GEWA prize and the Henle Urtext prize. They were also First Prize winners at the 2019 Joseph Joachim International Chamber Music Competition, prizewinners at the Vibre! Quatuors a Bordeaux, and have also received awards from the Hattori Foundation, Musicians Company UK and the Royal Philharmonic Society. The Barbican Quartet has appeared in such festivals as the Montreal Chamber Music Festival, the Peasmarsh Festival, Vibre! Quatuors à Bordeaux, Zeister Muziekdagen, IMS Prussia Cove and Aldeburgh, and have enjoyed collaborating with Quatuor Ébène, James Ehnes, Nicolas Baldeyrou, Richard Lester, Anthony Marwood and Andrew Marriner. Their performances have been broadcast on BR Klassik Radio, NPO Radio 4 and BBC Radio 3.
Currently based between London and Munich, the quartet is enjoying a dynamic concert schedule.The 2022/2023 season is an exciting time for the Barbican Quartet, who will be recording and releasing their debut CD for Genuin Classics, and touring in Germany, France, Holland, the UK, Switzerland, Italy, Canada and the USA. Upcoming performances include debut recitals at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Laeizshalle Hamburg.
Amarins plays on a 1764 Guadagnini violin generously on loan from the Netherlands National Muziekinstrumenten Fonds, Kate’s 1880 Vincenzo Panormo is from the Caninex Group, Canada, Christoph plays on a 2010 Bernd Hiller viola and Yoanna’s cello is a 1788 Giuseppe Gagliano, also on loan from Canimex.
Praised for their unique sound and character, the Barbican Quartet captivates from the first note to the last, delighting audiences and leaving a lasting impression. Their powerful performances and impressive ensemble playing have placed them on the international podium amongst the very best of the string quartet world. This is a quartet that celebrates their individual strengths in order to unite, decipher and communicate the great string quartet repertoire, as well as music from today.
“Finely structured and virtuosically balanced […] the Barbicans brought to Beethoven’s op. 59. 2 the intensity and instinctiveness that the slow movement needs, while giving the other movements joy, frenzy and punch. Justifiably thunderous applause.”
HARALD EGGEBRECHT, SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG (ON THE FINALE OF THE ARD INTERNATIONAL STRING QUARTET COMPETITION)
PROGRAMME
Haydn String Quartet in B Flat Major, Opus 50, No 1
Alban Berg String Quartet, Opus 3
INTERVAL
Ravel String Quartet
