Minguet Quartett
Biography Minguet Quartett
Das Minguet Quartett
Founded in 1988, the Minguet Quartet is now one of the most sought-after string quartets internationally, performing in all the world's major concert halls. The Minguet Quartet's passionate and intelligent interpretations provide an inspiring listening experience – ‘[...] because the joy of sound and expression with which the ensemble brings the works to life enlivens even the smallest detail.’ (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) The ensemble is named after Pablo Minguet, an 18th-century Spanish philosopher who sought in his writings to make the fine arts accessible to the general public. For the Minguet Quartet, this idea is an artistic programme. The ensemble focuses equally on classical-romantic literature and modern music and is committed to 21st-century compositions through numerous world premieres. Encounters with important composers of our time inspire the four musicians to come up with ever new programme ideas. The first complete recording of the string quartets by Wolfgang Rihm, Peter Ruzicka and Jörg Widmann are among their most important projects. The latter was awarded five stars by FONO FORUM in May 2015. With its complete CD recording of the string quartet literature of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Josef Suk and Heinrich v. Herzogenberg (cpo), the ensemble showcases its rich sound culture and introduces audiences to the impressive music of the Romantic period. In 2015, In 2015/2016, the ensemble has been invited to perform at the Ocean Sun Festival (MS Europa), Musikfest Stuttgart, Mozartfest Würzburg, Festival Ultraschall Berlin, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, the Munich Residenz, the Konzerthaus Berlin and the Austrian National Library in Vienna, as well as concert tours to Great Britain, Italy, Finland and the USA. A fulfilling 2014/2015 season took the Minguet Quartet to the Cologne and Berlin Philharmonic Halls, the Tonhalle Düsseldorf, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Paris, Vienna and Venice, as well as to the USA, Canada, Japan, Central and South America. A highlight was the performance of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Helikopter-Streichquartett at the invitation of the AUDI Summer Concerts 2015 as part of a concept by conductor Kent Nagano. Partners include soprano Mojca Erdmann, baritone Christian Gerhaher, clarinettists Sharon Kam and Jörg Widmann, pianist Andrea Lucchesini, violist Gérard Caussé, actor Michael Degen, the Bruckner Orchestra Linz, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and the WDR Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductors Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Markus Stenz and Peter Ruzicka. The Minguet Quartet was awarded the coveted ECHO Klassik 2010 for its complete SACD recording of Peter Ruzicka's string quartets (NEOS). For Wolfgang Rihm's Requiem ET LUX, released by ECM, the Minguet Quartet, together with the Huelgas Ensemble, received the Diapason d'or of the Year 2015.
