Everyone who hears Dvořák’s Tenth String Quartet is drawn into its wonderful feeling of well-being and affability. From the very first bars, the composer invites us to take part in a shared experience that is clearly positive and yet profound. The combination of warmth and tenderness goes beyond just the melodies. It creates a feeling of a safe environment where one can be lured into musical adventures without any risk of coming to harm. Moreover, the nickname “Slavic Quartet” rightly suggests an analogy to the dance, and when listening to Dvořák’s Tenth String Quartet, it is truly difficult to remain calmly seated. By performing his String Quartet No. 10 in E flat Major, the outstanding Belcea Quartet is contributing to the exclusive Dvořák Collection concert series, which continues this season with its presentation of the composer’s complete works for string quartet. The programme of this renowned London-based ensemble also includes music by Franz Schubert and César Franck. Schubert is also commemorated by his Tenth String Quartet, which the Viennese genius wrote at just 16 years of age. By contrast, the Piano Quintet by the Belgian-French composer Franck is a mature masterpiece of symphonic dimensions and grandeur.

"The Belcea Quartet plays concerts for eternity." (Hamburger Abendblatt March 2023)

Passion, coupled with precision, unheard-of expressivity and pure emotion characterize the concerts of the Belcea Quartet. With the Romanian violinist Corina Belcea, the Korean-Australian Suyeon Kang on second violin, the Polish violist Krzysztof Chorzelski and the French cellist Antoine Lederlin, four different artistic provenances meet and unite to create unique excellence.

The ensemble’s repertoire spans Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven to Bartok, Janacek to Szymanowski. They also continue to introduce new works by current composers to the audience such as Guillaume Connesson (2023), Joseph Phibbs (2018), Krzysztof Penderecki (2016), Thomas Larcher (2015) and Mark-Anthony Turnage (2014 & 2010). A new work by Julian Anderson will be premiered this season. These commissioned works are created in association with the Belcea Quarte Trust, the quartet's own foundation, whose aim is to continually broaden the string quartet literature as well as to support young quartets through concentrated joint coaching sessions. In this way they can also pass on to the next generation the experience they gained as students of the Amadeus & Alban Berg Quartet.

In addition to the complete recordings of the String Quartets by Bartók, Beethoven, Brahms (Diapason d'or de l'année 2016) and Britten, the quartet’s wide-ranging discography includes works by Berg, Dutilleux, Mozart, Schoenberg, Schubert, Shostakovich, Janáček & Ligeti (among others). In spring 2022, Alpha Classics released the two String Sextets by Brahms performed with Tabea Zimmermann and Jean-Guihen Queyras. Their performances of all Beethoven String Quartets at the Konzerthaus Vienna in 2012 were released on DVD by EuroArts in 2014, followed by the release of a recording of Britten's three String Quartets in 2015.

From 2017 to 2020, the quartet held the prestigious position of Ensemble in Residence at the Pierre Boulez Hall in Berlin. Since then, they have performed there regularly. In addition, the Belcea Quartet has been part of a shared String Quartet series at the Vienna Konzerthaus since 2010. Beginning last season, Quatuor Ébène became their partner ensemble here.

This season, the Belcea Quartet will be making guest appearances at the three prominent European String Quartet biennials in Paris, Lisbon, and Amsterdam. In addition, they will be performing at various esteemed venues including Carnegie Hall New York City, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Flagey Brussels, National Concert Hall Dublin, Tonhalle Zurich, and Toppan Hall Tokyo.

Source: Impresariat Simmenauer

Bertrand Chamayou has mastered an extensive repertoire displaying striking assurance, imagination, an artistic approach, and remarkable consistency in his performances. He is a regular performer in venues such as The Théâtre des Champs Elysées, The Lincoln Center, Herkulessaal Munich and London’s Wigmore Hall. He has appeared at major festivals including New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival, the Lucerne Festival, the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Rheingau Musik Festival and Beethovenfest Bonn.

This season will see him appear with Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and Lorenzo Viotti, The London Symphony Orchestra and François-Xavier Roth, SWR Symphonieorchester and Brad Lubman, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra with Elim Chan, The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and Semyon Bychkov, and The Orchestre de Paris. A tour with Les Siècles and Roth will lead him to important venues across Europe.

Bertrand Chamayou has worked with orchestras including The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, hr-Sinfonieorchester, WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, The NHK Symphony Orchestra, The Seattle Symphony Orchestra, The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and The Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Recent highlights have included his celebrated debuts with The New York Philharmonic, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal,The Pittsburgh Symphony and The Budapest Festival Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker, The Atlanta Symphony and Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig.

Chamayou has collaborated with several renowned conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Leonard Slatkin, Sir Neville Marriner, Michel Plasson, Stéphane Denève, Emmanuel Krivine and Andris Nelsons.

Chamayou is a regular chamber music performer, with partners including Renaud and Gautier Capuçon, Quatuor Ébène, Antoine Tamestit and Sol Gabetta. Following his successful performances at The Lincoln Center’s Great Performers Series and Salzburg’s Easter Festival, this season will see him perform recitals at Den Norske Opera, Teatro San Carlo Naples, SWR Freiburg and with Sol Gabetta at Philharmonie Essen, in Lucerne, Hannover, Semperoper Dresden and at Konzerthaus Freiburg.

Bertrand Chamayou has made a number of highly successful recordings, including his Naïve CD of music by César Franck, which has been awarded several accolades. For his recording of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 5, he was awarded the Gramophone Recording of the Year Award 2019. The only artist to win France's prestigious Victoires de la Musique on four occasions, he has an exclusive recording contract with Warner/Erato and was awarded the 2016 ECHO Klassik for his recording of Ravel’s complete works for solo piano.

Bertrand Chamayou was born in Toulouse; his musical talent was quickly noted by pianist Jean-François Heisser, who later became his professor at the Paris Conservatoire. He completed his training with Maria Curcio in London.

Source: HarrisonParrott

The Rudolfinum is one of the most important Neo-Renaissance edifices in the Czech Republic. In its conception as a multi-purpose cultural centre it was quite unique in Europe at the time of its construction. Based on a joint design by two outstanding Czech architects, Josef Zítek and Josef Schultz, a magnificent building was erected serving for concerts, as a gallery, and as a museum. The grand opening on 7 February 1885 was attended by Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria, in whose honour the structure was named. In 1896 the very first concert of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra took place in the Rudolfinum's main concert hall, under the baton of the composer Antonín Dvořák whose name was later bestowed on the hall.