Jerusalem 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 experience 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, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington, and Cleveland as well as in the Ravinia Festival. In Europe, they enjoy an enthusiastic reception with regular appearances in London’s Wigmore hall, Tonhalle Zürich, Munich Herkulessaal, Theatre des Champs-Elysées, as well as special guest performances at the Auditorium du Louvre Paris, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and festivals such as Salzburg, Verbier, Schleswig-Holstein, Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Rheingau, Saint Petersburg White Nights and many others.

The Jerusalem Quartet’s recordings for the label Harmonia Mundi have been honored with numerous awards such as the Diapason d’Or and the BBC Music Magazine Award for chamber music. In 2019, the Quartet released a unique album exploring Jewish music in Central Europe between the wars and its far-reaching influence. The recording featured the Quartet with Israeli soprano Hila Baggio performing a collection of Yiddish Cabaret songs from 1920s Warsaw, arranged by composer Leonid Desyatnikov, as well as works by Schulhoff and Korngold. The second installment of their Bartok quartet recording was released in 2020.

In the 2021-22 season, the Jerusalem Quartet returns to North America for two tours, including concerts in New York, Toronto, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle, among many other cities. After a tremendously successful collaboration in 2018-19, the Quartet will also reunite this season with Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth for a limited number of sextet concerts. In spring 2022, the Quartet’s Yiddish Cabaret program will make its North American debut with a performance at the Vancouver Recital Society. Additional highlights for the season include a Beethoven Cycle at Wigmore Hall in London, and a return to the Quartet Biennales in Paris, Amsterdam, and Lisbon.