Biography:
The ARDITTI QUARTET enjoys an outstanding reputation worldwide for its lively and nuanced interpretations of contemporary and 20th-century compositions. Since the quartet was founded in 1974 by violinist Irvine Arditti, hundreds of string quartets have been composed for the ensemble. Many of these works have become an integral part of the contemporary music repertoire and have secured the Arditti Quartet a firm place in music history. The breadth of its repertoire is demonstrated by world premieres by composers such as Adès, Andriessen, Aperghis, Birtwistle, Britten, Cage, Carter, Denisov, Dillon, Dufourt, Dusapin, Fedele, Ferneyhough, Francesconi, Gubaidulina, Guerrero, Harvey, Hosokawa, Kagel, Kurtág, Lachenmann, Ligeti, Maderna, Manoury, Nancarrow, Reynolds, Rihm, Scelsi, Sciarrino, Stockhausen and Xenakis. The ensemble firmly believes that close cooperation with composers is essential for the interpretation of modern music and strives to work with every composer whose works it performs. The four musicians are also involved in masterclasses for young performers and composers worldwide.
The Arditti Quartet's discography comprises over 200 CDs. Forty-two CDs alone were produced with the French label Naïve Montaigne. The recordings include both a portrait series of contemporary composers, always made in their presence, and the first digital recording of all string quartets of the Second Viennese School. The quartet has produced CDs with more than 20 other labels: works by Berio, Cage, Nono, Rihm and Lachenmann, the complete recording of Xenakis' chamber music for strings, and Stockhausen's infamous Helicopter Quartet. All in all, their discography is the most comprehensive of string quartet literature of the last 40 years. Among the latest releases on the Aeon label are portraits of Harvey, Dusapin, Birtwistle, Gerhard and Ferneyhough's complete string quartets and string trios.
Over the past 30 years, the Arditti Quartet has received numerous awards, including several German Record Critics' Awards. It received the Gramophone Award for the best recording of contemporary music in 1999 (Elliott Carter) and 2002 (Sir Harrison Birtwistle). In 2004, it received the ‘Coup de Coeur’ from the Académie Charles Cros for its contribution to the dissemination of contemporary music. In 1999, it was awarded the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize for its ‘musical life's work’. To date, it is the only ensemble ever to have received this award. The complete archive of the Arditti Quartet is housed in the Sacher Foundation in Basel.
Information pack for press and distributors
(ZIP-Archiv, 387 kB)
Albums:
Ein Schattenspiel / String Quartets No. 4 & No. 7:
Live @ Megève Festival Savoy Truffle:
Donaueschinger Musiktage 2016:
Darmstadt Aural Documents · Box 3 · Ensembles:
Donaueschinger Musiktage 2010:
Donaueschinger Musiktage 2006 Vol. 1:
