“Rich, mellow, unadulterated beauty”

New York Times

The Neue Züricher Zeitung described the Leipzig String Quartet as "one of the towering and most versatile quartets of our time". The ensemble was founded in 1988 by four members -three of whom were first chairs- of the famous Gewandhaus Orchestra. The Quartet has toured extensively throughout Europe, in Israel, Africa, North and South America, Australia, Japan, and Southeast Asia, including appearances at many of the major festivals. Having released nearly 100 CD recordings of repertoire from Mozart to Cage, the Quartet has received tremendous recognition for each of these projects. The Quartet enjoys collaborating with other artists to enrich and expand its already immense repertoire of 400 works by 150 composers. Regular masterclasses at the world's finest universities complete their activities. 

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Stefan Arzberger - violin
Tilmann Büning - violin
Ivo Bauer - altviool
Peter Bruns - cello 

 

Since its founding in 1988, the Leipzig String Quartet has garnered the attention of international critics and audiences with its distinctive, dark timbre and meticulously sculpted interpretations of a widely varied repertoire. Formed originally by the string principals of the renowned Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Quartet continues to uphold the principles of sound and integrity ascribed to this great orchestra. Called “one of the towering and most versatile quartets of our time” by the Neue Züricher Zeitung and lauded by The New York Times for presenting “rich, mellow, unadulterated beauty” and a true “Leipzig sound,” the Quartet is considered one of the world’s great chamber ensembles.

After coaching by Gerhard Bosse, the Amadeus Quartet, Hatto Beyerle and Walter Levin, the Quartet went on to win numerous prizes and awards, such as the 1991 International ARD Munich Competition, and the Busch and Siemens prizes.

Today, the Leipzig String Quartet has toured extensively throughout Europe, in Israel, Africa, North and South America, Australia, Japan, and Southeast Asia, including performances at many of the major festivals, often presenting its own thematic cycles (e.g. Schubert, Bach, contemporary composers).

Since 1991, the Quartet has had its own “Pro Quatuor” series at the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the Berlin Philharmony, where it is currently offering a multi-year cycle featuring the great quartets of the First and Second Viennese School. This series included the German premieres of Schnittke's "With Three" for string trio and orchestra and works by Beat Furrer, Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf, Wolfgang Rihm, Viktor Ullmann, Rainer Rihn, Cristóbal Halffter, Philip Hefti and others.

Having released nearly 100 CD recordings of repertoire from Mozart to Cage, the Quartet has received tremendous recognition for each of these projects. Strings magazine proclaimed the Quartet’s recordings of the complete string quartet works of Franz Schubert to be “of the highest order, the interpretations bracing and intense, and the recordings themselves ideal in clarity, richness of sound, and naturalness of acoustics”.

The Quartet remains on the forefront of contemporary music and is able to satisfy its desire to continually perform new music and interact regularly with composers. The Quartet enjoys collaborating with other artists to enrich and expand its already immense repertoire of 400 works by 150 composers.

The ensemble has performed worldwide and recorded with Alfred Brendel, Klaus-Maria Brandauer, Juliane Banse, Karl Leister, Michael Sanderling, Menahem Pressler, Joseph Kalichstein, Christian Zacharias, Christiane Oelze, Olaf Bär, Marc-André Hamelin, and acclaimed klezmer clarinettist Giora Feidman, among many others. Regular masterclasses at the world's finest universities complement their activities.

Programme proposals

Beethoven: Große Fuge, Op.133
Dvořák: Quartet in F major, Op. 96 ‘American’
Brahms: Quartet in A minor, Op. 51 No. 2

Webern: ‘Langsamer Satz’
Beethoven: Quartet in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2
Webern: Six Bagatelles, OP. 9
Beethoven: Quartet in A minor, Op. 132

Gade: Quartet in F major
Schulhoff: Five pieces
Kurtág: Officium Breve
Beethoven: Quartet in C sharp minor, Op. 131

Haydn: Quartet in G major, Op. 1 No. 4
Webern: ‘Langsamer Satz‘
Mozart: Quartet in D minor, KV 173
Sibelius: Quartet in A minor

Mendelssohn: Quartet in F minor, Op. 80
Brahms: Quartet in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1
Reger: Quartet in E flat major, Op. 109