Cuarteto Casals
Cuarteto Casals
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BIOGRAPHY
Vera Martinez, violin
Abel Tomàs, violin
Cristina Cordero, viola
Arnau Tomàs, cello
“Is there a typical Cuarteto Casals sound? Definitely. It is characterized by a maximum, extremely delicate penetration of the score and a multi-layered sound that always has something fluorescent, glassy.”
- Alexander Dick, Badische Zeitung, September 2022
Cuarteto Casals, a leading force in international chamber music, has established itself as one of the foremost string quartets after nearly three decades of its journey. Founded in 1997 at the Escuela Reina Sofía in Madrid, Cuarteto Casals has become a regular guest at many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Berlin Philharmonie, Cité de la Musique and Philharmonie de Paris, Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Musikverein, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
Their profound devotion to the heart of every work is reflected in a discography of around twenty albums for the Harmonia Mundi label, spanning works by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, the complete Beethoven quartets, as well as 20th-century masters such as Debussy, Ravel, Bartók, and Ligeti.
A prize from the prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust in London enabled the group to assemble a unique collection of matching Baroque and Classical bows, used in repertoire from Bach to Beethoven, a reflection of their deep commitment to stylistic diversity. Their historically informed performances bring nuance across eras, while their artistry has also been profoundly shaped by long standing engagement with living composers. They have maintained a close relationship with György Kurtág and premiered quartets by leading Spanish composers, including a concerto for string quartet and orchestra by Francisco Coll with the Orquesta Nacional de España, alongside commissions from Mauricio Sotelo, Benet Casablancas, Dahoud Salim, Lucio Amanti, Elisenda Fábregas, Aureliano Cattaneo, and Matan Porat.
In the 2025/2026 season, they embark on a landmark project: performing the complete Shostakovich string quartets, presented both in recordings and in full live cycles worldwide. The season also features tours across North America as well as extensive performances across Europe, with concerts at renowned venues such as Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, Gulbenkian in Lisboa, Wigmore Hall in London, Konserthus in Stockholm, String Quartet Biennial Amsterdam, and Musikverein in Vienna.
In parallel with their concert activity, the quartet is deeply engaged in pedagogy, holding residencies at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya, and the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag. They have been honored with Spain’s National Music Award, Catalonia’s National Culture Award, and the City of Barcelona Prize. They have also had the rare honor of performing on the legendary Stradivarius instruments at the Royal Palace in Madrid, and in recognition of their artistic excellence and enduring legacy, they were awarded the Medal of Honor by Reina Sofía of Spain. Furthermore, they proudly serve as cultural ambassadors for the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Institut Ramon Llull.
2025/2026
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