“The young and dynamic Pavel Haas Quartet triumphantly announce their arrival on the recording stage with this first-rate example of the music of their namesake. … Both works benefit from “streamlined but full-blooded playing”, ensuring eager anticipation for a follow-up album.” Gramophone (Chamber Music Award 2007)
Veronika Jaruskova - Violin
Marie Fuxová - Violin
Pavel Nikl - Viola
Peter Jarusek - Violincello
Since winning the Paolo Borciani competition in Italy in Spring 2005, the Pavel Haas Quartet have quickly become known to audiences, critics and promoters around the world as one of today's most exciting young string quartets. Most recently the Quartet was awarded the 2007 Gramophone Award for chamber music with their debut CD of works by Janacek and Haas. They were also named Newcomer of the Year in the 2007 BBC Music Magazine Awards and are BBC New Generation Artists. This scheme selects twelve expectionally talented young artists and groups to perform BBC studio recordings and high profile UK engagements.
Last year the Quartet was nominated by the Cologne Philhamonie as one of the European Concert Hall Organisation's 'Rising Stars' and tours ECHO venues throughout 2007/8. Tour dates include appearances at the Vienna Konzerthaus, Salzburg Mozarteum, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Cité de la Musique, Paris, Cologne Philharmonie, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Stockholm Konserthuset, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Carnegie Hall, New York. Other forthcoming highlights include major tours of the USA, Japan and Australia, a debut at the Berlin Philharmonie, several appearances at the Wigmore Hall, concerts in Barcelona and Madrid and return tours of the UK and Germany.
The Quartet's award winning debut CD on Supraphon was released last year to outstanding reviews. The recording, of Janacek Quartet No.2 Intimate Letters and Haas Quartet No.2 From the Monkey Mountains and was voted one of the CDs of 2006 by The Daily Telegraph, CD of the Week by BBC Radio 3 and Chamber Choice by BBC Music Magazine. The Quartet's second disc was released in Autumn 2007 and sees them complete their recordings of the the string quartet works by Haas and Janacek, featuring Janacek's Quartet No.1 Kreutzer Sonata and Haas' Quartets Nos.1 and 3.
Based in Prague, the quartet has studied with some of the masters of the quartet world including members of Quartetto Italiano, Quatuor Mosaiques and the Borodin and Amadeus Quartets. It worked particularly closely with Milan Skampa (Smetana Quartet) in Prague and Walter Levin (LaSalle Quartet) in Basel.
The Quartet takes its name from the Czech composer Pavel Haas (1899-1944) who was tragically deported from Czechoslovakia in 1941 and died at Auschwitz three years later. His legacy includes three wonderful string quartets. As well as Haas, the quartet are passionately committed to the Czech repertoire while their performances of Mozart and Beethoven have also received extraordinary acclaim.
The Pavel Haas Quartet is represented by Intermusica.
October 2007/446 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.