Ysaye Quartet
Guillaume Sutre - Violin
Luc-Marie Aguera - Violin
Miguel da Silva - Viola
Yovan Markovitch - cello

Biography

The Ysaÿe Quartet was formed in 1984 while the members were still students at the Paris Conservatoire. It choose to take the name of Eugene Ysaÿe (1858 – 1931), the violinist, quartet player and composer, who has continued to influence new generations.

Since its formation, the Ysaÿe Quartet has had the opportunity to work with Walter Levin of the LaSalle Quartet and with members of the Amadeus Quartet in Cologne. In 1988, the Quartet gained international recognition by being the first French quartet to win the Grand Prix at the Evian International Competition.

The Quartet’s busy international schedule includes regular appearances in the US, Asia, and throughout Europe, recent concerts including appearances at Théâtre de la Ville and Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, the Wigmore Hall and South Bank in London, the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Philharmonie in Berlin, and at the Stresa, Schleswig-Holstein, Edinburgh, Bonn and Lockenhaus Festivals.

The Ysaÿe Quartet’s discography includes recordings of works by Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Debussy, Ravel and Fauré for various recording companies including Harmonia Mundi, Phillips and Decca. In 2003 the Ysaÿe Quartet founded its own record label (Ysaÿe Records/Aeon), and released CDs feature repertoire by Haydn, Schumann, Mozart, Magnard, and Fauré. Their latest recording made in 2006, are Haydn’s „Seven last words of Christ on the Cross“. All CDs had been highly acclaimed by international music reviewers.

Having a deep interest in contemporary music, the Ysaÿe Quartet’s performances have been a catalyst for new works by Boucourechliev, Dusapin, Krawczyk, Monnet, Tanguy, Escaich and Friedrich Cerha. In 2001 the Quartet was awarded the Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros for their recording of the complete quartets by André Boucourechliev.

Since 1994, the Ysaÿe Quartet has developed a keen interest in teaching, and they have founded a string quartet class at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris (CNR).

For more information please also visit the website: www.ysayerecords.com