For 13 years, the “enfants terribles of French quartets” have carved out a singular path between tradition and modernity.
Dedicated to the traditional repertoire for string quartet – which they perform in the seasons of the best classical producers in France and abroad (the Philharmonie de Paris, the Mariinsky Theatre, Beethovenfest) – the musicians of Quatuor Béla also have as their mission to bring the string quartet to contemporary musical life.
Their work commissioning and premiering the music of composers from multiple generations was awarded a Prix de la Presse Musicale Internationale in 2015. A sincere conviction inspired by the personality and the work of Béla Bartók has led the quartet to devise collaborations with an eclectic array
of artists: Si oui, oui. Sinon non with the cult rock musician Albert Marcoeur; Impressions d’Afrique with the hugely important griot Moriba Koïta; Jadayel with the Palestinian masters Ahmad Al Khatib and Youssef Hbeisch.
Quatuor Béla’s playing, recognised for its “devilish technique” (Télérama) and
its musical engagement, has lent itself beautifully in the past few years to performing the works of early 20th century Central European composers including Leoš Janáček, Erwin Schulhoff, Hans Krása, Béla Bartók, Karol Szymanowsky and Anton Webern.
Quatuor Béla’s discography has been hailed by critics internationally, including: a rating of “ffff” from Télérama, the “Luister 10” Award, the Gramophone Critic’s Choice Award, the Prix Charles Cros, the Diapason and Le Monde.