Quatuor Ébène

Quatuor Diotima

Formed in 1996, Quatuor Diotima from France is a familiar name in the field of New Music. Because with »Fragmente – Stille, An Diotima« of 1980, Luigi Nono composed one of the epochal works of contemporary music. And because Nono also refers to Beethoven’s equally innovative, late String Quartet Op. 132 in his work, Quatuor Diotima now combines these two compositions for an evening of great string quartet music. Luigi Nono described his string quartet, which was premiered at the Bonn Beethovenfest in 1980, as »transcendental music«. Nono wove a number of quotations into the fine soundscape that oscillates between silence and non-silence, including from Verdi’s »Ave Maria«. Reference is also made to the slow, transcendentally beautiful movement »Heilige Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit« from Beethoven’s final official String Quartet Op. 132.

Quatuor Blanc

Violin, bandoneon, double bass and piano – it is astonishing that these four instruments can come together in one sound, as they each sound very different. Violinist and composer Hans-Christian Jaenicke has arranged Antonín Dvořák’s Serenade for Strings in E major for this delightful tango quartet line-up. He has also composed a work for his ensemble, which is performed here for the first time in this version.

Quatuor Ébène

This concert will not only make the hearts of string quartet fans beat faster, but also delight newcomers to chamber music: with technical brilliance and incredible versatility, the Quatuor Ébène has been among the crème de la crème of the music world for over twenty years – »a string quartet that can easily morph into a jazz band,« gushed the New York Times. For their next visit to Hamburg, the musicians have packed repertoire gems as well as brand new pieces into their luggage. A particular highlight is the performance of a new work by Raphaël Merlin. He was cellist in the Quatuor Ébène until spring 2024 and is now focusing on his international career as a composer and conductor. You may be very curious about what the Frenchman will place onto the stands of his long-standing ensemble. The award-winning foursome also presents Beethoven’s first-ever string quartet before the work commissioned by the Elbphilharmonie. With this adventurous piece, Beethoven opened a new chapter in music history after Haydn and Mozart. Just 70 years later, Tchaikovsky composed his expressive Third String Quartet, which he dedicated to a deceased friend, the violinist Ferdinand Laub – a highly emotional work that expresses a profoundly touching obituary in sounds especially in its slow movement.

Quatuor Modigliani

Quatuor Modigliani

Quatuor Agate

At the Rising Stars Festival, the Elbphilharmonie Recital Hall again becomes the stage for the most exciting musicians of the young generation in January 2025. Amongst these stars of tomorrow is the Quatuor Agate, as the only ensemble. The string quartet formed in Berlin in 2016 and the musicians’ joint career long since assumed an international format. The Guardian enthuses about the Brahms debut album by the four Frenchmen: »Warm, wonderfully refined sound, impeccable intonation and punctilious attention to detail.« Under the heading »Outlaws«, the Quatuor Agate presents a well-thought out concept programme in Hamburg with String Quartet No. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich at its heart. Under the impact of the tyranny of his Russian homeland, Shostakovich created a piece of bloodcurdling intensity in 1960 that he saw as his own musical obituary. Adrien Jurkovic, Thomas Descamps, Raphaël Pagnon and Simon Iachemet surround this confessional music with a broad-based programme combination which ranges from the Renaissance to the present day. Projections accompany the programme and shine a light on the life of the composers. With singing, the musicians rise far above their usual role as instrumentalists in the commissioned composition by Anna Korsun.

Quatuor Diotima

Quatuor Danel

Quatuor Danel

Quatuor Danel

Quatuor Danel