Alma Quartet

Alma Quartet: Beethoven, Janáček and Adams

For lovers of chamber music the Recital Hall is the venue of choice. You can hear the musicians breathe and you can practically touch them. This hall is also cherished by musicians for its beautiful acoustics and direct contact with the audience. In the Recital Hall you can hear the best musicians of our time. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Recital Hall for yourself!

Aural Spaces – Alma Quartet presents Beethoven's Grosse Fuge in 4DSOUND (live)

One moment you are listening to a string quartet in a traditional setting, and then you are surprised when the melodies of the various instruments start to dance around you. With respect for the original work, experiments are made with the material to bring the subtle as well as coarse dynamics of the piece to life in new dimensions. Different ways are explored to express the richness of the string instruments, even to the point of abstraction, where you end up in a world of sound rather than listening to music, until another melody appears on the horizon.The Alma Quartet is a renowned string ensemble of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra that brings together innovation and tradition in an exciting and unprecedented way. ‘They have a collective antenna for refined timbres’, according to de Volkskrant. The Alma Quartet consists of Marc Daniel van Biemen (violin), Benjamin Peled (violin), Jeroen Woudstra (viola), and Clément Peigné (cello). The quartet has a trademark knack for special collaborations, projects in which classical music flawlessly bleeds into the domains of pop, folk music, avant-garde and jazz. The Alma Quartet is also widely acclaimed within classical circles all over the world, especially for their unique interpretations of Korngold and Schulhoff.This concert is part of the Aural Spaces festival. From 12 to 15 December, a new dimension will be added to the live music experience in the Recital Hall of The Concertgebouw. The familiar red plush chairs will make way for a 4DSOUND installation, consisting of 13 pillars with 41 speakers. Classical acoustic methods are combined with the modern technology of 4DSOUND, further expanding the possibilities of sound experience.Aural Spaces explores the boundaries between sound and space, blurring them and merging them. The result is a completely immersive listening experience that’s all too rare. Discover and feel how the music moves through space!

Aural Spaces – Alma Quartet presents Beethoven's Grosse Fuge in 4DSOUND (live)

One moment you are listening to a string quartet in a traditional setting, and then you are surprised when the melodies of the various instruments start to dance around you. With respect for the original work, experiments are made with the material to bring the subtle as well as coarse dynamics of the piece to life in new dimensions. Different ways are explored to express the richness of the string instruments, even to the point of abstraction, where you end up in a world of sound rather than listening to music, until another melody appears on the horizon.The Alma Quartet is a renowned string ensemble of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra that brings together innovation and tradition in an exciting and unprecedented way. ‘They have a collective antenna for refined timbres’, according to de Volkskrant. The Alma Quartet consists of Marc Daniel van Biemen (violin), Benjamin Peled (violin), Jeroen Woudstra (viola), and Clément Peigné (cello). The quartet has a trademark knack for special collaborations, projects in which classical music flawlessly bleeds into the domains of pop, folk music, avant-garde and jazz. The Alma Quartet is also widely acclaimed within classical circles all over the world, especially for their unique interpretations of Korngold and Schulhoff.This concert is part of the Aural Spaces festival. From 12 to 15 December, a new dimension will be added to the live music experience in the Recital Hall of The Concertgebouw. The familiar red plush chairs will make way for a 4DSOUND installation, consisting of 13 pillars with 41 speakers. Classical acoustic methods are combined with the modern technology of 4DSOUND, further expanding the possibilities of sound experience.Aural Spaces explores the boundaries between sound and space, blurring them and merging them. The result is a completely immersive listening experience that’s all too rare. Discover and feel how the music moves through space!

Ariel Brínguez / Iván »Melon« Lewis »Alma en Cuba« & Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet

For decades, great artists from Cuba have enriched the Spanish jazz scene. Though they may find a home there both personally and musically, a significant part of their identity always remains tied to their old homeland. »Alma en Cuba« is the name given to their programme by Ariel Brínguez and Iván »Melon« Lewis – the soul remains in Cuba. The two improvisers embark on a tension-filled journey through Cuban eras. Styles such as Danzón or Son Montuno are joyfully dressed in contemporary jazz attire. Hardly any band from Germany is currently as talked about as the Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet. The debut of the pianist, who was born in 1998 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, was released by the renowned US label Motéma Music – the first album by a European group ever. The Süddeutsche Zeitung praised »Rising Sun« – a work full of folk melodies and intense solos – as »passionate, tempestuous, adventurous, and intelligent«.

Ariel Brínguez / Iván »Melon« Lewis »Alma en Cuba« & Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet

For decades, great artists from Cuba have enriched the Spanish jazz scene. Though they may find a home there both personally and musically, a significant part of their identity always remains tied to their old homeland. »Alma en Cuba« is the name given to their programme by Ariel Brínguez and Iván »Melon« Lewis – the soul remains in Cuba. The two improvisers embark on a tension-filled journey through Cuban eras. Styles such as Danzón or Son Montuno are joyfully dressed in contemporary jazz attire. Hardly any band from Germany is currently as talked about as the Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet. The debut of the pianist, who was born in 1998 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, was released by the renowned US label Motéma Music – the first album by a European group ever. The Süddeutsche Zeitung praised »Rising Sun« – a work full of folk melodies and intense solos – as »passionate, tempestuous, adventurous, and intelligent«.

Barbican Quartet

The Barbican Quartet was founded in 2015, and is taught and supported by string quartet stars like Günter Picheler and the Quatuor Ébène. The four musicians present works by Alban Berg and Beethoven as part of the »Teatime Classics« series. 2022 was a memorable year for the Barbican Quartet: they won first prize and other special prizes at the ARD Music Competition, as well as a third prize at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition. The ensemble had only just found a new second violinist, and thus a new sound and style of ensemble playing, in February 2022. The Barbican Quartet has appeared at many international festivals, and has been broadcast on the radio several times. In the 2022/23 season, they produced and released their first CD. An extensive tour will take them to different parts of Europe, to Canada and the USA.

Critics’ Quartet

Moderated by Olaf Wilhelmer, four critics will once again discuss a central work this year: in 2024 it will be Aaron Copland’s 3rd Symphony.The “Critics’ Quartet” takes place instead of the usual introduction to the concert with the Kansas City Symphony conducted by Matthias Pintscher.

Belcea Quartet

Takács Quartet

Beethoven's quartets dedicated to the Russian ambassador in Vienna, Count Razumovsky, are some of his most famous. The first of the three is majestic in its scope, filled with both carefree melodies and tension-filled contrasts.When it comes to string quartets, Joseph Haydn was a role model and important source of inspiration for Beethoven, and there's a musical thread from Haydn's C major quartet to Beethoven's Razumovsky quartets.The ensemble tackling this music, the Takács Quartet, was founded in Hungary but is now based in the USA. They are known for their brilliant playing and innovative programs. They often collaborate with writers and artists, and at several concerts, the actress Meryl Streep has participated.The Takács Quartet also commissions music. One such initiative is the beautifully flowing Flow by American composer Nokuthula Ngwenyama, who has looked out towards space and drawn inspiration from the Big Bang and the expansion of the universe.