Nina Šenk – To see a World in a grain of sand

Toshio Hosokawa – Silent Flowers

Helena Tulve – nec ros, nec pluvia…

~ Intermission ~

Toivo Tulev – Neither this nor the further shore

György Ligeti – string quartet no 2

The Arditti Quartet is one of the world’s most highly acclaimed string quartets, renowned for its vibrant and technically refined interpretations of contemporary and 20th-century music. Since its founding in 1974 by violinist Irvine Arditti, the ensemble has inspired the composition of hundreds of string quartets and other chamber works. Many of these pieces have left a lasting mark on the repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries, securing the Arditti Quartet an essential place in music history. The ensemble’s commitment to education is reflected in their masterclasses and workshops for young musicians and composers around the world.

The quartet’s world premieres include works by composers such as Abrahamsen, Adès, Andriessen, Aperghis, Birtwistle, Britten, Cage, Carter, Dillon, Dufourt, Dusapin, Fedele, Ferneyhough, Francesconi, Gubaidulina, Harvey, Hosokawa, Kagel, Kurtág, Lachenmann, Ligeti, Maderna, Manoury, Nancarrow, Reynolds, Rihm, Scelsi, Sciarrino, Stockhausen, Xenakis, and many others, reflecting the ensemble’s vast and diverse repertoire.

The Arditti Quartet’s extensive discography now includes over 200 recordings. They have recorded for more than 20 labels, making their collection one of the most comprehensive documentations of string quartet repertoire over the past 40 years.

Over the last three decades, the ensemble has received numerous prestigious awards for its contributions. They have multiple times won the Deutsche Schallplatten Preis and the Gramophone Award for Best Contemporary Recording in 1999 (Elliott Carter), 2002 (Harrison Birtwistle), and 2018 (Pascal Dusapin). In 2004, the Académie Charles Cros in France honored them with the Coup de Cœur Award for their exceptional contribution to contemporary music. In 1999, they received the highly prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize for their lifetime achievement in music, remaining the only ensemble ever to have won this award.

The Arditti Quartet’s complete archive is housed at the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel, Switzerland.