Quatuor Varese
Biography Quatuor Varese
Quatuor Varese
In June 2014, the Quatuor Varèse received the Third Prize at the Paolo Borciani International Competition, Reggio Emilia (Italy), and their performance of Arcadiana by Thomas Adès was distinguished with the Special Prize for the interpretation of a contemporary work.
In February 2014, the quartet was awarded the Second Prize, in addition to the Special Prize for the best performance of a work by W.A.Mozart, at the Mozart International Competition, Salzburg (Austria).
The Quatuor Varèse has received several prizes in many other international events, such as: the First Prize in the first edition of the Hans Schaeuble Foundation competition in Zurich (Switzerland, 2012); the Third Prize at the Franz Schubert and Modern Music competition in Graz (Austria, 2012); the Prix Jeunes Talents 2012, Paris (France); the Grand Prix de l’Académie Ravel, Saint-Jean-de-Luz (France, 2011); the Special Prize for String Quartet in the Concours Musiques d’Ensemble (Paris, 2011) and the Second Prize, as well as the Lions Rotary Prize, at the International Chamber Music Competition in Lyon (France, 2009).
Founded at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon in 2006, the quartet was initially taught by the Ravel, Debussy and Danel quartets. Afterwards, they studied with the Quatuor Ysaÿe and worked with such highly renowned musicians as Heime Müller, Rainer Schmidt, Petr Prause, Stefan Metz and Natalia Prischepenko thanks to the Proquartet-CEMC program. More recently, they studied with Miguel Da Silva in Geneva. In 2013, the Instituto Internacional de Música de Cámara de Madrid awarded the quartet a scholarship to pursue advanced studies with Günter Pichler, the first violin of the Alban Berg Quartet.
The quartet regularly performs on stages around France, and past seasons have taken the ensemble to many concert halls abroad: Staatsbibliothek, Berlin (Germany); Concertgebouw, Bruges (Belgium); Centro Cultural Caja España-Duero, León (Spain); Théâtre National Algérien and Palais de la Culture, Algiers (Algeria); Caliara Hall, Kilkenny (Ireland); Palazzeto Bru Zane, Venice (Italy); Tokyo and Iwaki (Japan); Vredenburg Leeuwenbergh, Utrecht (Netherlands); Palais Montcalm, Québec (Québec, Canada); Hôtel Soubise, Paris...
Collaborating frequently with other artists, the ensemble has great enthusiasm towards artistic projects combining music with theatre, and even dance. “Quartet & Voice, at the Heart of the Romantics” is an innovative performance concept established alongside the baritone Alain Buet, and symbolises their creativity for the upcoming seasons.
The Quatuor Varèse is regularly invited to appear on radio programmes hosted by Stéphane Goldet, Frédéric Lodéon, Gaëlle Le Gallic, Jean-Pierre Derrien and Arnaud Laporte, broadcast on Radio France and France Musique.
The Quatuor Varèse is grateful to have been granted the invaluable support of the "Fondation Banque Populaire" since 2012.
The ensemble has been enjoying a residency at the Faculty of Medicine of Lyon since June 2016.
The Association Zilber kindly loans a violin by Giuseppe Peluzzi and viola by Giuseppe Guadagnini to the Quatuor Varèse.
