Fauré Quartet
Chambermusic
Erika Geldsetzer, Violin
Dirk Mommertz, Piano
Sascha Frömbling, Viola
Konstantin Heidrich, Violoncello
"The Fauré Quartett is the best that you can currently hear" Harald Eggebrecht wrote in the Süddeutsche Zeitung in March 2011.
"Chamber music is the true music and the most honest expression of a personality." Following this principle from their namesake, the Fauré Quartet is considered one of the world's most renowned chamber music groups. In a short time the German piano quartet conquered the major concert halls such as London (Wigmore Hall), Berlin (Philharmonie), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw), Buenos Aires (Teatro Colon), Rio de Janeiro (Sala Cecilia Meireles), Frankfurt (Alte Oper) Hamburg (Laeiszhalle), Paris, Tokyo, Brussels, Geneva, Milan. The Ensemble is invited to major international festivals including the Rheingau, Schleswig-Holstein, Ludwigsburg, Schwetzingen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Montpellier, Sceaux, Buenos Aires, Bad Kissingen and Kuhmo. In spring 2012 the Fauré Quartet take up the role of Artistic Director of the newly created "Spring Festival Rügen". In collaboration with the Festival Mecklenburg-Vorpommern this festival is devoted to mainly chamber music in unusual places.
In 2006, the Quartet signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammphon and since then it has released CDs with the piano quartets of Mozart, Brahms and Mendelssohn as well as a “Popsongs” album. The Brahms disc and the “Popsongs” album were awarded with the prestigious “Echo” prize (in 2008 and 2010).
These four musicians founded the Fauré Quartett while studying at the Karlsruhe Music Lyceum in 1995, for the 150th anniversary of Gabriel Fauré. Today the Quartet is amidst prize-winners and recipients of awards including the “Deutsche Schallplattenpreis”, “ECHO” prize, “Preis des Deutschen Musikwettbewerbes” and the Parkhouse Award in Great Britain. The Karlsruhe Music Lyceum recently made them “Quartet in Residence”. Karlsruhe had not given out this title for 30 years, and they are the first piano quartet to have received this honor.
Their influential mentors were the Alban Berg Quartett in Cologne, Wolfgang Jahn and Misha Katz. The Fauré Quartett members give regular chamber music courses and masterclasses, both individually and as an ensemble, they teach at the Universities of Karlsruhe, Dresden, Essen, Berlin and London. Their students won several awards at important chamber music competitions (ARD, Melbourne, Vienna, Berlin, Bonn).
“Through the courage and dedication which they use to champion the often neglected chamber music genre, the Fauré Quartet justifiably has one of the most rewarding careers in classical music over the few last years.” (Fono Forum)
SEASON 2011/2012
