What will you hear? An established string quartet that makes its UMS debut with a program featuring Mendelssohn and Piazzola.

The Berlin-based Artemis Quartet was founded in 1989. While a couple of big awards and prizes signaled their success early on, they elected to immerse themselves in further study with the Alban Berg Quartet rather than pitching into the tempting fast track of career success. They turned professional in 1994 and have since drawn attention for their performances, which overflow with fullness of sound and unparalleled drama. Now in residence at Konzerthaus Vienna with a regular concert series at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Artemis Quartet makes its UMS debut with an interesting program that pairs Bach preludes and fugues with Piazzolla tangos that were originally written for a stage play. The program is bookended by two Mendelssohn quartets.

Program

Mendelssohn	Quartet in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1
J. S. Bach	“Contrapunctus I” from The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080
Astor Piazzolla	Tango del Angel
Bach	“Prelude in e minor” from The Well-Tempered Clavier I, BWV 855
Piazzolla	Muerte del Angel I
Bach	“Prelude in A Major” from The Well-Tempered Clavier I, BWV 862
Piazzolla	Milonga del Angel
Bach	“Fugue in f minor” from The Well-Tempered Clavier I, BWV 857
Piazzolla	Muerte del Angel II
Bach	“Prelude in c minor” from The Well-Tempered Clavier I, BWV 847
Mendelssohn	Quartet in f minor, Op. 80

Encore:
Presto Magico” movement (iii) from Alberto Ginastera’s String Quartet No. 2, Op. 26
Program Book [PDF]

Also see
Artemis Quartet website

The Berlin-based Artemis Quartet was founded at the Lübeck Musikhochschule in 1989. Walter Levin, the Emerson Quartet, the Julliard Quartet and the Alban Berg Quartet have been and remain important teachers and mentors for the quartet. The four players have performed as a professional ensemble since 1994, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the leading ensembles of their generation.

Since 2004 the quartet’s series of concerts at the Berlin Philharmonie has met with high praise from critics and audiences alike. In addition to their busy schedule of concerts at all the most important concert venues in Europe, the US, Japan, South America and Australia, and numerous appearances at international festivals, the Artemis Quartet is also committed to teaching. One example of this vocation is their joint professorship in chamber music at Berlin’s Universität der Künste and their guest lectureship at the “Chapelle Reine Elisabeth” in Brussels. The Quartet’s series of concerts at the Berlin Philharmonie has met with high praise from critics and audiences alike. In addition to performing throughout Europe, US, Japan, South America and Australia, the Quartet is also committed to education, holding a joint professorship in chamber music at Berlin’s Universität der Künste and a guest lectureship at the “Chapelle Reine Elisabeth” in Brussels.

This performance marks Artemis Quartet’s UMS debut.

Performance trailer