Suvarna Garge (Editor)

Martinů Quartet

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Active from
  
1976

Albums
  
The Complete Quintets, Taneyev: The Complete Quintets

Members
  
Lubomír Havlák, Jitka Vlašánková, Libor Kaňka

Record labels
  
Supraphon, Philips Classics Records, Kubešovo Hudební Vydavaleství, ArcoDiva, Navona, Naxos

Similar
  
Bohuslav Martinů, Karel Kosarek, Kateřina Englichová, Jitka Hosprová, Stamic Quartet

Profiles

Play chamber music with the martin quartet


The Martinů Quartet (Czech: Kvarteto Martinů) is a Czech string quartet ensemble founded in 1976, originally under the name Havlák Quartet by students of Professor Viktor Moučka at the Prague Conservatory. In 1985, with the approval of the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation, the quartet assumed its present name Martinů Quartet, pledging to promote the chamber music of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů. The quartet specialises in the works of Czech composers such as Smetana, Dvořák and Janáček, and especially the works of Bohuslav Martinů. They perform regularly at the Prague Spring Festival as well as concerts in many European Countries, the United States, Canada and Japan. The quartet also teaches chamber music performance at two annual chamber music workshops in the Czech Republic, which are open to both amateur and professional musicians.

Contents

Bohuslav martin quartet for oboe violin cello and piano h 315


Members

  • Lubomír Havlák, first violin
  • Libor Kaňka, second violin
  • Zbyněk Paďourek, viola
  • Jitka Vlašánková, violoncello
  • Awards

    The Martinů Quartet took part in eight international chamber music competitions and won awards at each event, most notably at the Prague Spring Festival and the competitions held in Evian, Florence, Munich (ARD) and Portsmouth. In 2001, the quartet was awarded the Bohuslav Martinů Price by the Bohuslav Martinů Foundation in recognition of the quartet's achievement promoting the chamber music of Bohuslav Martinů. In 2003, the quartet's recording of Sylvie Bodorová's Terezín Ghetto Requiem received the Music Web UK's Recording of the month award. In 2004, the quartet received the celebrated MIDEM award in Cannes for the best CD of the year in the category solo and ensemble repertoire of the 20th century.

    Recordings

    The Martinů Quartet has released more than 20 CDs on major classical music labels, most notably on Naxos, but also Arcos Diva, Harmonia Mundi and others. In addition to recordings for release on CD, they have also recorded for radio broadcasts by Czech Radio, Radio France, BBC, ARD and ORF.

    The quartet's most highly acclaimed CD releases are

  • The complete string quartets by Bohuslav Martinů, released in 3 volumes on Naxos
  • Vol.1, string quartets Tri jezdci, #1 and #2 in 1995, #8.553782, Review on Classics Today
  • Vol.2, string quartets #3 and #6 in 1996, #8.553783, Review on Classics Today
  • Vol.3, string quartets #4, #5 and #7 in 1997, #8.553784, Review on Classics Today
  • Terezín Ghetto Requiem by Sylvie Bodorová and string quartet by Ronald Stevenson, released on Arco Diva in 2003, #UP 0052-2 131
  • Piano quintets and violin sonatas by Bohuslav Martinů, released on Naxos in 2007, #8.557861, Review on Classics Today
  • Publications

    The Martinů Quartet has been featured in multiple non-trivial published works in reliable and reputable media such as the Czech online musical encyclopedia published by the music faculty of Masaryk University of Brno, the Grove musical encyclopedia published by Oxford University, The New York Times, Classic Today magazine, Music Web UK and others.

    Songs

    Tři jezdciMartinu: String Quartets Nos 1 and 2 / Three Horsemen · 2000
    IV Allegro con BrioMcKinley: String Quartets · 2011
    String Quartet No 1 - H 117 - "The French": Moderato - Allegro ma non troppoMartinu: String Quartets Nos 1 and 2 / Three Horsemen · 2000

    References

    Martinů Quartet Wikipedia