Jerusalem Quartet
Ensemble“Passion, precision, warmth, a gold blend: these are the trademarks of this excellent Israeli string quartet.”
Such was the New York Times’ impression of the Jerusalem Quartet. Since the ensemble's founding in 1993 and subsequent 1996 debut, the four Israeli musicians have embarked on a journey of growth and maturation. This journey has resulted in a wide repertoire and stunning depth of expression, which carries on the string quartet tradition in a unique manner. The ensemble has found its core in a warm, full, human sound and an egalitarian balance between high and low voices. This approach allows the quartet to maintain a healthy relationship between individual expression and a transparent and respectful presentation of the composer's work. It is also the drive and motivation for the continuing refinement of its interpretations of the classical repertoire as well as exploration of new epochs.
The Jerusalem Quartet is a regular and beloved guest on the world’s great concert stages. Recent appearances include a Beethoven quartet cycle at Wigmore Hall in London; a Bartok cycle at the Salzburg Festival; their third annual String Quartet seminar in Crans Montana Switzerland; and since 2022 a residency at the Jerusalem Academy of Music.
Since 2005, the Jerusalem Quartet has released 16 albums for Harmonia Mundi, which have been honored with numerous awards such as the Diapason d'Or and the BBC Music Magazine Award for chamber music. Their latest releases include a unique album exploring Jewish music in Central Europe between the wars including a collection of Yiddish Cabaret songs from Warsaw in the 1920s, featuring Israeli Soprano Hila Baggio. In 2020, the Jerusalem Quartet released the second (and last) album of their complete Bartók cycle.
Highlights of the upcoming 2023/2024 Season include tours of Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland; and appearances in the quartet Biennales in Paris, Lisbon, and Amsterdam. Alongside the quartet’s regular programs, they will bring back the “Yiddish Cabaret”, and will perform a Bartok Cycle in the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, October and April will feature return tours to the North America, with visits to New York, Miami, Denver, Houston, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, and Portland, among others. In June, the quartet will tour China, South Korea, and Japan appearing in important venues such as Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Seoul Arts Center.