Belcea Quartet

The Belcea Quartet is a string quartet, formed in 1994, under the leadership of violinist Corina Belcea.

History

The quartet was formed while its members were studying at the Royal College of Music in London. While there, they were coached by the Chilingirian Quartet. They subsequently studied with the Alban Berg Quartet [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1658960,00.html Erica Jeal, "Belcea Quartet/Erben". "The Guardian", 6 December 2005.] ] at Cologne.

The quartet was one of the first groups to participate in the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, from 1999 to 2001. They made their Carnegie Hall debut in 2000 as part of the 'Distinctive Debuts' series. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E03E2D8103BF937A25750C0A9669C8B63 James R. Oestreich, "Robust Joking By Way of Haydn". "New York Times", 14 March 2000.] ] Their first performance at the Edinburgh International Festival was in August 2001. [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,704052,00.html Tim Ashley, "Belcea Quartet". "The Guardian", 18 August 2001.] ] The Belcea Quartet were quartet in-residence at Wigmore Hall in London from 2001 to 2006. During their Wigmore residency, the quartet participated in the first performances of "The Canticle of the Rose" by Joseph Phibbs [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1666769,00.html Andrew Clements, review of December 2005 Wigmore Hall concert with Lisa Milne. "The Guardian", 14 December 2005.] ] .

Their debut recording with EMI won Gramophone Magazine's Debut Recording Prize. An earlier recording of the Leos Janáček quartets was awarded a Diapason d’Or in France. The quartet has also twice received the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music Ensemble.

During the 2005-2006 season, cellist Alasdair Tait left the ensemble. His replacement was the French cellist Antoine Lederlin. [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1740871,00.html Erica Jeal, "Belcea Quartet/Collins". "The Guardian", 28 March 2006.] ] This new incarnation of the group performed at Carnegie Hall in March 2006 with Ian Bostridge.

The quartet has also performed at the Vienna Musikverein and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

Current members

*Corina Belcea-Fisher, violin
*Laura Samuel, violin
*Krzysztof Chorzelski, viola
*Antoine Lederlin, cello

Former members

*Alasdair Tait, cello

Recordings

Partial list of recordings:
* Debussy, Dutilleux, Ravel - String Quartets, 2001
* Schubert - String Quartets, 2002 [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,885624,00.html Tim Ashley, "Schubert: 'Rosamunde' Quartet; Quartet in E Flat; Quartettsatz in C Minor". "The Guardian", 31 January 2003.] ]
* Brahms - String Quartets, 2004 [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1141535,00.html Andrew Clements, "Brahms: String Quartet Op 51 no 1; String Quintet Op 111, Kakuska/ Belcea Quartet". "The Guardian", 6 February 2004.] ]
* Britten - String Quartets, 2005 [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1449217,00.html Andrew Clements, "Britten: String Quartets Nos 1-3; Three Divertimenti, Belcea Quartet". "The Guardian", 1 April 2005.] ]
* Schubert - Trout Quintet (with pianist Thomas Adès), 2005 [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1477202,00.html Andrew Clements, "Adès: Piano Quintet; Schubert: Trout Quintet: Ades/Arditti Quartet/Belcea Quartet". "The Guardian", 6 May 2005.] ]
* Mozart - String Quartets, 2006 (original line-up)
* Béla Bartók - Complete String Quartets, 2008

Notes

References

* EMI Liner Notes
* [http://www.emiclassics.de/xml/6/3200389/5580502.html EMI Germany page]

External links

* [http://www.belceaquartet.com Official website]
* [http://www.artsmg.com/belcea_quartet/belcea_quartet.htm Home Page] at their management agency
* [http://www.muso-online.com/MUSO9-12,13,14%20Belcea.pdf MUSO magazine interview]

elected concert reviews

* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,704955,00.html Tim Ashley, "Belcea/ Bostridge/ Adès". "The Guardian", 7 December 2001.]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2002/07/09/bmwig09.xml Ivan Hewett, "Poise and personality". "Telegraph", 9 July 2002.]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh2002/story/0,,776878,00.html Tom Service, "Bostridge/ Drake/ Belcea Quartet". "The Guardian", 19 August 2002.]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2002/10/31/bmbel31.xml Geoffrey Norris, "Quest for the new". "Telegraph", 31 October 2002.]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2003/03/04/bmgeof04.xml Geoffrey Norris, "Profundity and vision". "Telegraph", 4 March 2003.]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2003/06/24/bmfann24.xml David Fanning, "Aldeburgh Festival: precision of a madman". "Telegraph", 24 June 2003.]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/feature/0,,1264771,00.html Andrew Clements, "The Turn of the Screw". "The Guardian", 20 July 2004.]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1340501,00.html Tom Service, "Belcea Quartet/Kildea". "The Guardian", 1 November 2004.]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1374689,00.html Erica Jeal, "Janacek at 150". "The Guardian", 16 December 2004.]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1500688,00.html Rian Evans, "An Evening in Buenos Aires" (review from Bath Festival). "The Guardian", 7 June 2005.]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1511559,00.html George Hall, review of June 2005 Wigmore Hall concert. "The Guardian", 22 June 2005.]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/06/05/bmclas05.xml Geoffrey Norris, "Four strings weave a taut web". "Telegraph", 5 June 2006.]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/12/05/bmbel05.xml Geoffrey Norris, "Apt tribute to Britten's originality". "Telegraph", 5 December 2006.]