Two of today’s finest string quartets become even more than the sum of their parts in octets by Felix Mendelssohn and George Enescu. These monumental works—each, incredibly, written by the prodigious composers in their teens—are quintessential representations of the form, showcasing the sonic power and rich, multilayered possibilities of an octet configuration. The Belcea Quartet’s most recent concert at Carnegie Hall was praised as “masterful ... superior artistry ... full of style, feeling, and expressive depth” (New York Classical Review), while Quatuor Ébène was called “as gorgeous as any ensemble in recent memory ... immaculately articulated exuberance” (The Strad).

EPSG:4326

Belcea Quartet Quatuor Ébène

Carnegie Hall

“The Belceas still play like a young quartet, seizing the music’s energy, shocking us out of our seats with every fortissimo” (The Guardian). One of the leading string quartets of its generation, the London-based foursome opens its latest PCMS program with quartets by Beethoven and Bartók before concluding with Debussy’s sensual and singular String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10.

Belcea Quartet

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

This program of essential string quartets opens with Beethoven’s String Quartet in C Minor, a key commonly associated with the maestro’s most vigorous works. The Belcea Quartet is renowned for its Beethoven performances, for “single-mindedly fathoming the emotional recesses of the composer’s psyche” (Gramophone). More of the ensemble’s core repertoire follows as they showcase what makes their Bartók interpretations “thrilling … bound for classic status” (London’s The Times). The program closes with Debussy’s sole string quartet, a forward-thinking journey of constant surprise and beauty, unencumbered by the expectations of its time.

Belcea Quartet

Nov 14, 2024

Belcea Quartet Quatuor Ébène

Oct 20, 2023

Belcea Quartet

Belcea Quartet