QUARTET CASALS

Founded in 1997 at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Casals Quartet won First Award at the London (2000) and Brahms-Hamburg (2002) competitions, thus establishing its position as a leading ensemble. They have performed in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Musikverein, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Suntory Hall in London.

On their 25th anniversary, they successfully released Bach’s The Art of Fugue and are currently recording the complete Shostakovich quartets. Their extensive discography with Harmonia Mundi ranges from Spanish composers such as Arriaga and Toldrá to classics such as Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, as well as Ravel, Bartók and Ligeti. Their live record of Schubert’s quartets for Neu Records stands out.

The Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award allowed them to add baroque bows to perform pieces from Purcell to Schubert. Their close relationship with contemporary music includes György Kurtág, Francisco Coll, Maurici Sotelo and Elisenda Fábregas premières, among others. They have performed Absolute Jest by John Adams and will premiere Fiery Earth in 2025.

Renowned as Catalonia’s cultural ambassador, the Quartet has been given honours such as the National Music Award and the City of Barcelona Award. They have performed the Royal Palace of Madrid Stradivarius collection several times, and in 2024, they were awarded the Reina Sofia School Honour Medal.

In addition to appearing on radio and television, it is the resident quartet at the Koninklijk Conservatorium of The Hague, the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole and the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya. This 2024/25 season, they begin a new stage with violist Cristina Cordero.