Jerusalem Quartet

String Quartet

Alexander Pavlovsky
Violin
Sergei Bresler
Violin
Ori Kam
Viola
Kyril Zlotnikov
Cello
"For each of us, it is different. Sometimes we come off stage and one of us will feel it was a great concert, while another will be unhappy. "
Ori Kam / Jerusalem Quartet, February 2018
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Biography

"Passion, precision, warmth, a gold blend: these are the trademarks of this excellent Israeli string quartet."

Such was the New York Times' impression of the Jerusalem Quartet. Since the ensemble's founding in 1993 and subsequent 1996 debut, the four Israeli musicians have embarked on a journey of growth and maturation. This journey has resulted in a wide repertoire and stunning depth of expression, which carries on the string quartet tradition in a unique manner. The ensemble has found its core in a warm, full, human sound and an egalitarian balance between high and low voices. This approach allows the quartet to maintain a healthy relationship between individual expression and a transparent and respectful presentation of the composer's work. It is also the drive and motivation for the continuing refinement of its interpretations of the classical repertoire as well as exploration of new epochs.
The Jerusalem Quartet is a regular and beloved guest on the world's great concert stages. With regular bi-annual visits to North America, the quartet has performed in cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, and Cleveland as well as in the Ravinia Festival. In Europe, the quartet enjoys an enthusiastic reception with regular appearances in all the prestige concert halls and at festivals such as Salzburg, Verbier, Rheingau, Schleswig-Holstein or Schubertiade Schwarzenberg.
„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
The Jerusalem Quartet records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi. The quartet's recordings have been honored with numerous awards such as the Diapason d'Or and the BBC Music Magazine Award for chamber music.In the spring of 2019, the quartet released a unique album exploring Jewish music in Central Europe between the wars including a collection of Yiddish Cabaret songs from Warsaw in the 1920s, featuring Israeli Soprano Hila Baggio. In 2020, the Jerusalem Quartet released the second (and last) album of their complete Bartók cycle; both recordings were critically acclaimed.

In August 2022, the ensemble played the Bartók cycle at the Salzburg Festival; in the course of the 2022/2023 season, they are invited to perform e.g. at the String Quartet Biennale in Barcelona and at renowned concert halls such as the Philharmonic Halls in Berlin and Luxembourg, and the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. A special chamber musical highlight are performances of the Shostakovich Piano Quintet, together with Elisabeth Leonskaja, e.g. at Wigmore Hall London, Concertgebouw Amsterdam or Concertgebouw Brügge. Furthermore, Elisabeth Leonskaja is joining the Jerusalem Quartet on a tour of Italy with concerts in Rome, Florence, Milano and Bologna. Other highlights of the season include a concert with Frans Helmerson and Miguel Da Silva in Istanbul and performances with Hila Baggio and the Yiddish Cabaret program, including at Wigmore Hall.

2022 / 2023
This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorized by artist management.
Contacts: Matthias Hermann, Ellen Bäuerle

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Programme

2024 / 2025

You’ll find the current programmes in the IMPRESARIUM of the 24/25 season

2023 / 2024
Program I

Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 12, MWV R 25
Paul Ben Haim: String Quartet No. 1, Op. 21
***
Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10

Program II "Folk"

Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 in E minor “Aus meinem Leben”
Bartók: String Quartet No. 3, Sz 85
***
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2 „Rasumowsky“

Programm III "Variations"

Haydn: String Quartet in E-flat major, op. 76 Nr. 6 Hob III: 80
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 2 in A major, op. 68
***
Brahms: String Quartet No. 3 in B-major, op. 67

Shostakovich Cycle
The 15 String Quartets by Dimitri Shostakovich in 5 concerts
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of the composer or a selection of 3 quartets in one concert:

Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 1 in C major, op. 49 (1938)
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 9 in E-flat major, op. 117 (1964)
***
Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 14 in F-sharp major, op. 142 (1973) 

Schedule

02.08.2023
19:00 Uhr
CH / Champéry - Église paroissiale de Champéry
Jerusalem Quartet, Sharon Kam
02.08.2023
CH / Champéry
Jerusalem Quartet, Sharon Kam
04.08.2023
20:00 Uhr
DE / Öhningen - Stiftskirche (Augustiner Chorherrenstift)
Jerusalem Quartet
04.08.2023
20:00 Uhr
DE / Öhningen - Stiftskirche
Jerusalem Quartet
24.08.2023
NL / Zeist - Kirche der Evangelischen Brüdergemeinschaft in Zeist
Jerusalem Quartet
26.08.2023
NL / Zeist - Kirche der Evangelischen Brüdergemeinschaft in Zeist
Jerusalem Quartet
28.08.2023
20:00 Uhr
FR / St Jean de Luz (Cambo-les-Bains) - Eglise Saint-Laurent
Jerusalem Quartet
14.09.2023
PL / Kyril: Szymanowski Competition in Katowice until 21.09. - NOSPR Concert Hall Sala Koncertowa
Kyril Zlotnikov

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
J. Brahms: String Quartet No 2 in A minor, Op. 51 No 2
W.A. Mozart: String Quartet K.421 in D Minor, Allegro moderato
Yiddish Cabaret | Jerusalem Quartet & Hila Baggio

Contact

Matthias Hermann
t: +49 (0)30 414 781 716
f: +49 (0)30 414 781 713
Ellen Bäuerle
t: +49 (0)30 414 781 712
f: +49 (0)30 414 781 713