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10
JULY
The
Bartók Quartet's
tonal beauty, clarity, directness and exceptional
ensemble playing have caused critics and audiences alike
to acclaim it as one of the most distinguished chamber
groups on the international scene. It is clearly one of
the great quartets of the world (The New York Times).
Formed in 1957, the Bartók Quarter rose to worldwide
fame as winner of the 1959 International Haydn
Competition in Budapest, and International Schumann
Competition in Berlin 1960. In 1963, the group was
prizewinner at the prestigious International String
Quartet Competition in Liege, Belgium. The Kossuth Prize
– the highest award in Hungary - was conferred upon the
quartet in 1970 and again in 1997, the first time the
prize had been given twice to any ensemble. Further
awards: Unesco Prize 1981, Bartók Prize 1986.
The quartet members first came together at the Academy
of Music in Budapest. Inspired and encouraged by the
renowned teacher and composer Leo Weiner, they formed a
professional chamber ensemble, calling themselves the
Komlos Quartet, from 1963 to be renamed the Bartók
Quartet in honor of their great countryman, Béla Bartók.
The musicians perform on fur of the finest instruments
of the eighteenth century (Péter Komlós plays the famed
Hamma Stradivarius, from 1731).
The Quartet has performed over 3,500 concerts throughout
the world. Its recent schedules have taken it to such
major festivals as Tanglewood, Spoleto, Salzburg,
Edinburgh, Lucerne…
They are equally at home with repertory from the
classical to the contemporary eras, but may be best
known for performances of works by Béla Bartók. |
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