Belcea Quartet
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The Belcea Quartet is a string quartet, formed in 1994, under the leadership of violinist Corina Belcea, while its members were studying at the Royal College of Music in London. While there, they were coached by the Chilingirian Quartet. They subsequently studied with the Alban Berg Quartet[1] at Cologne.
The quartet was one of the first groups to participate in the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, from 1999 to 2001. They made their Carnegie Hall debut in 2000 as part of the 'Distinctive Debuts' series.[2] Their first performance at the Edinburgh International Festival was in August 2001.[3] The Belcea Quartet were quartet in-residence at Wigmore Hall in London from 2001 to 2006. During their Wigmore residency, the quartet participated in the first performances of The Canticle of the Rose by Joseph Phibbs[4].
Their debut recording with EMI won Gramophone Magazine's Debut Recording Prize. An earlier recording of the Leos Janáček quartets was awarded a Diapason d’Or in France. The quartet has also twice received the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music Ensemble.
During the 2005-2006 season, cellist Alasdair Tait left the ensemble. His replacement was the French cellist Antoine Lederlin.[5] This new incarnation of the group performed at Carnegie Hall in March 2006 with Ian Bostridge. They are scheduled for a concert there in April 2008.
The quartet has also performed at the Vienna Musikverein and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.
Contents |
[edit] Current members
- Corina Belcea-Fisher, violin
- Laura Samuel, violin
- Krzsysztof Chorzelski, viola
- Antoine Lederlin, cello
[edit] Former members
- Alasdair Tait, cello
[edit] Recordings
Partial list of recordings:
- Debussy, Dutilleux, Ravel - String Quartets, 2001
- Schubert - String Quartets, 2002[6]
- Brahms - String Quartets, 2004[7]
- Britten - String Quartets, 2005[8]
- Schubert - Trout Quintet (with pianist Thomas Adès), 2005[9]
- Mozart - String Quartets, 2006 (original line-up)
[edit] References
- ^ Erica Jeal, "Belcea Quartet/Erben". The Guardian, 6 December 2005.
- ^ James R. Oestreich, "Robust Joking By Way of Haydn". New York Times, 14 March 2000.
- ^ Tim Ashley, "Belcea Quartet". The Guardian, 18 August 2001.
- ^ Andrew Clements, review of December 2005 Wigmore Hall concert with Lisa Milne. The Guardian, 14 December 2005.
- ^ Erica Jeal, "Belcea Quartet/Collins". The Guardian, 28 March 2006.
- ^ Tim Ashley, "Schubert: 'Rosamunde' Quartet; Quartet in E Flat; Quartettsatz in C Minor". The Guardian, 31 January 2003.
- ^ Andrew Clements, "Brahms: String Quartet Op 51 no 1; String Quintet Op 111, Kakuska/ Belcea Quartet". The Guardian, 6 February 2004.
- ^ Andrew Clements, "Britten: String Quartets Nos 1-3; Three Divertimenti, Belcea Quartet". The Guardian, 1 April 2005.
- ^ Andrew Clements, "Adès: Piano Quintet; Schubert: Trout Quintet: Ades/Arditti Quartet/Belcea Quartet". The Guardian, 6 May 2005.
- EMI Liner Notes
- EMI Germany page
[edit] External links
- Home Page at their management agency
- MUSO magazine interview
[edit] Selected concert reviews
- Tim Ashley, "Belcea/ Bostridge/ Adès". The Guardian, 7 December 2001.
- Ivan Hewett, "Poise and personality". Telegraph, 9 July 2002.
- Tom Service, "Bostridge/ Drake/ Belcea Quartet". The Guardian, 19 August 2002.
- Geoffrey Norris, "Quest for the new". Telegraph, 31 October 2002.
- Geoffrey Norris, "Profundity and vision". Telegraph, 4 March 2003.
- David Fanning, "Aldeburgh Festival: precision of a madman". Telegraph, 24 June 2003.
- Andrew Clements, "The Turn of the Screw". The Guardian, 20 July 2004.
- Tom Service, "Belcea Quartet/Kildea". The Guardian, 1 November 2004.
- Erica Jeal, "Janacek at 150". The Guardian, 16 December 2004.
- Rian Evans, "An Evening in Buenos Aires" (review from Bath Festival). The Guardian, 7 June 2005.
- George Hall, review of June 2005 Wigmore Hall concert. The Guardian, 22 June 2005.
- Geoffrey Norris, "Four strings weave a taut web". Telegraph, 5 June 2006.
- Geoffrey Norris, "Apt tribute to Britten's originality". Telegraph, 5 December 2006.
