Simply Quartet

String Quartet

Danfeng Shen
Violin
Antonia Rankersberger
Violin
Xiang Lyu
Viola
Ivan Valentin Hollup Roald
Cello
"From Chinese philosophy comes the idea of a great entirety in which opposites depend on and complement each other. Based on this idea, we combine complexity and simplicity."
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Biography

"[...] they put on such a breathtaking performance that at the end the audience trampled with enthusiasm."
…words used by the Hamburger Abendblatt in February 2023, describing the concert of the Simply Quartet at the Elbphilharmonie, where they were the first string quartet to perform in the series “Fast Lane”.

"From Chinese philosophy comes the idea of a great entirety in which opposites depend on and complement each other. Based on this idea, we combine complexity and simplicity. As four different individuals, together we shape the unity of the string quartet, the royal genre of chamber music."

The Simply Quartet is continuously searching for a deep understanding of the inherent language of music: from the early classical works to modern string quartet literature. They place great emphasis on combining the three contrasting cultures (China, Austria, Norway) upon which they draw their inspiration to develop a musical language of their own; by exploring works from each of their cultures, they deepen their knowledge of different sound worlds.

Originally founded in Shanghai under the auspices of Jensen Horn-Sin Lam, the quartet moved to Vienna to intensively explore the essence and origins of quartet playing – at the Joseph Haydn Institute of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the ensemble studies with Johannes Meissl. In addition, the quartet owes valuable experiences and impulses to its years at the European Chamber Music Academy. The quartet captures further influences in Günter Pichler's class at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid, where it was a member in 2020 and 2021.

The Simply Quartet has been awarded four first prizes at renowned chamber music competitions: At the International Carl Nielsen Competition in Copenhagen & the "Quatuor á Bordeaux" in 2019, the "Franz Schubert and the Music of Modernity" in Graz in 2018 and in 2017 at the International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition in Vienna.

At the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Simply Quartet was part of the Great Talent programme (2020-2022), and in the 2021/2022 season, they were one of the selected ensembles of the ECHO Rising Stars series with debuts at concert halls including BOZAR Brussels, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Palau de la Música Catalana, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg or the Luxembourg & Paris Philharmonies.

This season, in addition to concerts at (a.o.) the Wigmore Hall London, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Alte Oper Frankfurt or the Tonhalle Zurich, several festival concerts are on the agenda, e.g. at the Rheingau Music Festival, the Festival International de Quatuors à Cordes du Luberon, the String Quartet Biennale In Amsterdam and the Beethovenfest Bonn.

Primarius Danfeng Shen plays a violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini from 1753, which is at his disposal thanks to a generous loan from MERITO String Instruments Trust GmbH. Antonia Rankersberger plays a violin by Camillo Camilli from 1736 (Mantua), made available to her by the Austrian National Bank.

2023 / 2024
This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorized by artist management.
Contacts: Matthias Hermann, Ellen Bäuerle

Images

Programme

2024 / 2025

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

2023 / 2024
Program I
Autumn 2023

Haydn: String Quartet in G major, Op. 77 No. 1, Hob. III: 81

Webern: Five Movements for String Quartet, Op. 5

***

Schumann: String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 41 No. 1

Program II
Spring 2024

Webern: Slow movement

Bartók: String Quartet No. 4, Sz 91

or Larcher: String Quartet No. 4 “lucid dreams”

***

Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96 “American”

String Quartet & Viola
Simply Quartet & Diyang Mei
Autumn 2023

Haydn: String Quartet in G major, Op. 77 No.1, Hob. III: 81

Hindemith: Sonata for Viola solo, Op. 25 Nr. 1

or Bach: Chaconne from the Partita No. 2, BWV 1004

***

Brahms: String Quintet in G major, Op. 111

Schedule

13.01.2024
11:00 Uhr
DE / Elmau/Klais - Schloss Elmau
Simply Quartet, Lukas Sternath
18.01.2024
20:00 Uhr
DE / Darmstadt - Orangerie
Simply Quartet
20.01.2024
19:30 Uhr
AT / Wien - Konzerthaus Mozartsaal
Simply Quartet, Stefan Mendl
21.01.2024
15:00 Uhr
PT / Lissabon - Grande Auditório Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian
Simply Quartet
28.01.2024
11:30 Uhr
GB / London - Wigmore Hall
Simply Quartet
29.01.2024
19:30 Uhr
GB / Hoylake - St. Hideburgh's Church
Simply Quartet
01.02.2024
22:30 Uhr
NL / Amsterdam - Het Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ' Grote Zaal
Simply Quartet
02.02.2024
19:30 Uhr
DE / Friedrichshafen - Graf-Zeppelin-Haus Ludwig-Dürr-Saal
Simply Quartet
04.02.2024
18:00 Uhr
DE / Gaggenau - Jahnhalle Eckenerstraße 1, 76571 Gaggenau
Simply Quartet
06.02.2024
20:00 Uhr
DE / Berlin - Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt Kleiner Saal
Simply Quartet
03.03.2024
17:00 Uhr
/ Thüringen (AT) - Villa Falkenhorst
Simply Quartet
04.03.2024
19:30 Uhr
CH / Zürich - Tonhalle Kleiner Saal
Simply Quartet
16.03.2024
18:00 Uhr
DE / Halle / Saale - Franckesche Stiftungen Freylinghausensaal
Simply Quartet
21.03.2024
20:00 Uhr
DE / Reutlingen - Stadthalle Reutlingen im Bürgerpark Kleiner Saal
Belcea Quartet, Simply Quartet
22.03.2024
20:00 Uhr
DE / Frankfurt am Main - Alte Oper Frankfurt Mozartsaal
Belcea Quartet, Simply Quartet, Markus Fein
16.04.2024
20:00 Uhr
DK / Kopenhagen - The Royal Library
Simply Quartet, Diyang Mei
23.04.2024
19:00 Uhr
DE / Potsdam - Großer Saal
Simply Quartet, Diyang Mei

Videos

Streaming Konzert @ Wiener Konzerthaus

Contact

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