Jerusalem Quartet

String Quartet

Alexander Pavlovsky
Violin
Sergei Bresler
Violin
Ori Kam
Viola
Kyril Zlotnikov
Cello
"The art of the string quartet is the art of balance—between freedom and discipline, sound and silence, unity and individuality."
– Alexander Pavlovsky, 2025
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Biography

"Passion, precision, warmth, a gold blend: these are the trademarks of this excellent Israeli string quartet."
Such was the Times’ (London) impression of the Jerusalem Quartet. Since the ensemble's founding in 1993 and their debut in 1995, the four Israeli musicians have embarked on a remarkable journey of growth and maturation. Their expansive repertoire and extraordinary depth of expression have firmly established them as a distinctive voice in the string quartet tradition. At the heart of their sound lies a warm, full, and deeply human tone, paired with an egalitarian balance between high and low voices. This approach allows the quartet to combine individual expressivity with a transparent and faithful presentation of the composer’s work. It also drives their ongoing refinement of interpretations of the classical repertoire, while encouraging explorations of new musical territories

The Jerusalem Quartet is a regular and cherished guest on the world’s most prestigious concert stages. The year 2025 will mark the Quartet’s 30th anniversary. In 2025, the ensemble celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special focus on Shostakovich’s 15 quartets, presented across 10 cities worldwide, including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Beethovenfest Bonn, Philharmonie Cologne, and Tonhalle Zurich.

Highlights of the upcoming 2025/2026 season include two North American tours, as well as extensive performances across Europe, with concerts at renowned venues such as the Konzerthaus Wien and Wigmore Hall in London. Another season milestone for the Quartet will be a series of quintet concerts in spring 2026 with celebrated pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, taking place at prestigious venues including the Gewandhaus in Leipzig and the Alte Oper in Frankfurt.

The Jerusalem Quartet’s recordings have received numerous awards and accolades, including the Diapason d’Or and the BBC Music Magazine Award for Chamber Music. Previous Harmonia Mundi releases include a unique exploration of Jewish music in Central Europe between the wars, featuring a collection of 1920s Yiddish cabaret songs from Warsaw performed with Israeli soprano Hila Baggio, as well as the second volume of their complete Bartók cycle released in 2020. Today, the quartet records exclusively for BIS, with their first release for the label in 2025 featuring Shostakovich Quartets No. 2, 7 & 10.

2025/2026
„In the wrong hands, Dvořák’s music can appear to meander on occasion, but here one wishes its heartfelt inspiration would go on for ever.”The Strad, June 2018
This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorized by artist management.
Contacts: Lenemarie Leukefeld, Clara Loeb

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Programme

2026 / 2027

You’ll find the current programs in the IMPRESARIUM of the 26/27 season

2025 / 2026

Schedule

15/02/2026
18:00 h
Jerusalem Quartet, Elisabeth Leonskaja
17/02/2026
20:15 h
Auditorium Pollini
Padova, Italy
Jerusalem Quartet, Elisabeth Leonskaja
18/02/2026
19:30 h
Jerusalem Quartet
19/02/2026
20:00 h
Alte Oper Frankfurt, Mozartsaal
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Jerusalem Quartet, Elisabeth Leonskaja
21/02/2026
19:30 h
Jerusalem Quartet, Elisabeth Leonskaja
22/02/2026
15:00 h
SPOT Groningen
Groningen, Netherlands
Jerusalem Quartet, Elisabeth Leonskaja
24/02/2026
20:00 h
Jerusalem Quartet
25/02/2026
20:00 h
Concertzaal Tilburg
Tilburg, Netherlands
Jerusalem Quartet
15/03/2026
19:00 h
Jerusalem Quartet
16/03/2026
20:00 h
Jerusalem Quartet
17/03/2026
19:30 h
Jerusalem Quartet, Elisabeth Leonskaja
19/03/2026
17:00 h
Stadthalle Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Germany
Jerusalem Quartet
22/03/2026
17:00 h
Salle de Musique, La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Jerusalem Quartet, Elisabeth Leonskaja
22/04/2026
19:30 h
Jerusalem Quartet
26/04/2026
16:00 h
West Side Presbyterian Church
Ridgewood, United States
Jerusalem Quartet
28/04/2026
19:30 h
Kleinhans Hall, Mary Seaton Room
Buffalo, NY 14201, United States
Jerusalem Quartet
29/04/2026
19:30 h
Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall
Buffalo, NY, United States
Jerusalem Quartet
03/05/2026
15:30 h
Oscar Peterson Hall
Montréal, Canada
Jerusalem Quartet
31/05/2026
19:00 h
Jerusalem Quartet
02/06/2026
20:00 h
Schlosstheater Celle
Celle, Germany
Jerusalem Quartet

Discography

Béla Bartók: String Quartets
Béla Bartók
String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 7 Sz 40
String Quartet No. 3, Sz 85
String Quartet No. 5, Sz 102

Debussy - Ravel
Claude Debussy
String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10

Maurice Ravel
String Quartet in F major

Antonín Dvořák: String Quintet & String Sextet
Antonín Dvořák
String Quintet, Op. 97
String Sextet, Op. 48

Veronika Hagen - Viola
Gary Hoffman - Cello

Béla Bartók: String Quartets
Béla Bartók
String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 17 Sz 67
String Quartet No. 4 in C major, Sz 91
String Quartet No. 6 in D major, Sz 114

Beethoven: String Quartets Op. 18
Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18 No. 3
String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18 No. 1
String Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18 No. 2
String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4

Smetana - Janácek
Bedrich Smetana
String Quartet No. 1 in E minor, "From my Life"

Leos Janácek
String Quartet No. 1, "Kreutzer Sonata"
String Quartet No. 2, "Intimate Pages"

Brahms: String Quartet & Clarinet Quintet
Johannes Brahms
String Quartet in A minor, Op. 51 No. 1
Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115

Sharon Kam - Clarinet

Shostakovich: String Quartets
Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 49 in C major
String Quartet No. 4, Op. 83 in D major
String Quartet No. 6, Op. 101 in G major
String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110 in C minor
String Quartet No. 9, Op. 117 in E-flat major
String Quartet No. 11, Op. 122 in F minor

Schumann: Piano Quartet & Piano Quintet
Robert Schumann
Piano Quartet, Op. 47 in E-flat major
Piano Quintet, Op. 44 in E-flat major

Alexander Melnikov - Piano

Mozart: String Quartets Nos. 4, 7 & 22
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
String Quartet No. 4 in C major, K 157
String Quartet No. 17 in B-flat major, K 458, "The Hunt"
String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat major, K 589, "Prussian No. 2"

Haydn: String Quartets Op. 20/5, 33/3 & 76/5
Joseph Haydn
String Quartet, Op. 20 No. 5 in F minor
String Quartet, Op. 33 No. 3 in C major
String Quartet, Op. 76 No. 5 in D major

Haydn: String Quartets Op. 64/5, 76/2 & 77/1
Joseph Haydn
String Quartet, Op. 64 No. 5 in D major, "Lark"
String Quartet, Op. 76 No. 2 in D minor, "Fifths"
String Quartet, Op. 77 No. 1 in G major, "Lobkowitz"

Harmonia Mundi, 2008

Schubert: "Death and the Maiden" & "Quartettsatz" D.703
Franz Schubert
String Quartet No. 13 in D minor, D 810, "Death and the Maiden"
Quartettsatz in C minor, D 703

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 6, 8 & 11
Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 6, Op. 101 in G major
String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110 in C minor
String Quartet No. 11, Op. 122 in F minor

Dvořák: String Quartet op. 96 "American" & Piano Quintet op. 81
Antonín Dvořák
String Quartet, Op. 96 in F major, "American"
Piano Quintet, Op. 81 in A major

Stefan Vladar - Piano

Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 1, 4 & 9
Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 49 in C major
String Quartet No. 4, Op. 83 in D major
String Quartet No. 9, Op. 117 in E-flat major

Tchaikovsky - Shostakovich
Peter Tchaikovksky
String Quartet No. 1, Op. 11 in D major

Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 3, Op. 73 in F major

EMI, 2002

Beethoven - Ravel - Dvořák
Ludwig van Beethoven
String Quartet, Op. 18 No. 6

Maurice Ravel
String Quartet

Antonín Dvořák
String Quartet, Op. 96 in F major, "American"

CLASSICS LIVE, 2002

Videos

Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110
Schubert: String Quartet in D Minor "Death and the Maiden" - III. Scherzo, Allegro Molto
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet K.575 in D major - I. Allegretto
S. Prokofiev: String Quartet No.2 Op.92 - II. Adagio
Live from Concertgebouw Amsterdam

Contact

Lenemarie Leukefeld
Senior Artist Manager
t: +49 (0)30 414 781 721
Clara Loeb
Artist Coordinator
t: +49 (0)30 414 781 712