Ysaye Quartet CV

Wingfield College

Concerts 2007
Booking starts 2nd July

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Ysaye Quartet CV

Music in
Country Churches

Centre for the Study
of Mediaeval
Chantry Colleges

The Ysaÿe Quartet was formed in 1984 while the members were still students at the Paris Conservatoire. The Quartet is named after the violinist, quartet player and composer Eugene Ysaÿe (1858 - 1931) who was a powerful influence on the musical world of his day.

Since its formation, the Ysaÿe Quartet has had the opportunity to work with Walter Levin of the LaSalle Quartet and with members of the Amadeus Quartet in Cologne. In 1988, the Quartet gained international recognition by being the first French quartet to win the Grand Prix at the Evian International Competition.

Since then, the Quartet has been invited to play throughout the world. They have performed in Japan (including Suntory Hall in Tokyo) in the USA (including at Carnegie Hall in New York), in Israel and throughout Europe including at Théâtre de la Ville and Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, the Wigmore Hall and South Bank in London, the Brahmssaal in Vienna, the Philharmonie in Berlin, in Geneva, Bremen, Leipzig, Florence, Madrid, and at the Salzburg, Stresa, Schleswig-Holstein and Lockenhaus Festivals.

Recent appearances have included an extensive tour of Australia and New Zealand as well as concerts throughout Europe and the USA. Last year the Quartet made its debut at the Hong Kong Festival. The Quartet is undertaking a six-year project to perform the complete quartets by Haydn in Besançon in France, as well as in Los Angeles. Other future plans include concerts in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Cologne, Naples, and in the US, concerts in New York, Philadelphia, Dallas and Washington.

The Ysaÿe Quartet’s discography includes recordings of works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Debussy, Ravel and Fauré for various recording companies including Harmonia Mundi, Phillips and Decca. In 2003 the Ysaÿe Quartet founded its own record label (Ysaÿe Records/Aeon), and their most recent releases feature repertoire by Haydn, Schumann, Mozart, Magnard, and Fauré.

Having a deep interest in contemporary music, the Ysaÿe Quartet’s performances have been a catalyst for new works by Boucourechliev, Dusapin, Krawczyk, Monnet, Tanguy and Escaich. Earlier this year they gave the first performances of a Clarinet Quintet by Friedrich Cerha in Vienna and London. In 2001 the Quartet was awarded the Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros for their recording of the complete quartets by André Boucourechliev.

Since 1994, the Ysaÿe Quartet has developed a keen interest in teaching, and they have founded a string quartet class at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris.

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