8/28/2008 | Cuarteto Casals

Casals Quartet

Since its founding at the Reina Sofia School of Music in Madrid under Professor Antonello Farulli in 1997, the Cuarteto Casals has quickly become recognized as one of Europe's most distinguished young string quartets. It has won top prizes at many prestigious international competitions, including First Prize at the 2000 London International String Quartet Competition and First Prize at the Johannes Brahms International String Quartet Competition in Hamburg (2002). In September 2005, the ensemble received the Prix de Barcelona and in November 2006 it was honoured with highest award bestowed by Spanish musicians.

The ensembles' new and current activities include performances at Wigmore Hall and Barbican Centre in London, Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Lincoln Center and Carnagie Hall (New York), Philharmonie and Konzerthaus (Berlin), Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.), Konzerthaus (Vienna), Philharmonie (Cologne) and Châtelet Theatre (Paris). Each year the quartet completes tours throughout Europe, the United States, South America and Japan, and appears at the Salzburg, Lucerne, Santa Fe, Bantry, City of London, Schleswig-Holstein and Kuhmo festivals. Besides domestic concert cycles at the Barcelona Auditorium, the ensemble accompanies the King and Queen of Spain on foreign visits.

The Casals Quartet has an exclusive recording contract with Harmonia Mundi, which has already released their fourth album, "Influencias" (Maurice Ravel's String Quartet and music by Ravel's Spanish contemporaries Joaquin Turina and Eduard Toldrá).