She may have picked a good moment; two of her key pianists are heading off on sabbatical. Beethoven also features in their debut at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, returns to Wigmore Hall and Handelsbeurs Ghent as well as in various appearances throughout the UK. Formed in 2002 at the Royal Northern College of Music under the guidance of the late Dr. Christopher Rowland and Alasdair Tait, the Heath Quartet have gone from strength to strength. Both occasion and venue are prompted by the Quartet’s new recording of a Bartók cycle, made over two concerts at the Wigmore Hall in May 2016. There was a very dynamic and charismatic head of chamber music there, and he thought we’d be a good combination so he put us together. Having done that first one in Spain, and then in Edinburgh, it felt like we could basically tackle anything after that. ^ The Heath Quartet’s Bartók release, out 9 June 2017. It always makes a strong statement. We were first asked to do the retrospective about three years ago. Click here to download the Heath Quartet’s full 2019/20 biography. Their growing discography includes recordings of music by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Haydn. Subscribe now. Cerys: I think one of the most significant moments was doing our first Beethoven cycle. First of all we took part in internal competitions at the college and did well, and then we did UK competitions and then international competitions. Log in to continue reading. Askonas Holt is excited to be representing the Heath Quartet. I don’t think we’re really aware of it, because it’s just a combination of our different personalities. Subscribe now, Catching up with the youngest ever winner of the Van Cliburn Competition as she heads to Australia. Tippett’s language changed enormously throughout his career because he was always assimilating new musical ideas, and these five quartets really span his whole life – the first one is 1934/35 (revised in 1943), and the last one is 1991. They took part in the European premiere of Steve Mackey’s ‘Gaggle and Flock’ for string octet and received unanimous critical acclaim for their performance of Ligeti’s Quartet No.2 and Thomas Adès’ ‘Arcadiana’. His current roster includes David Afkham, Veronika Eberle, Alina Ibragimova, Sir András Schiff, Nathalie Stutzmann, Cédric Tiberghien and Robin Ticciati. During the 2019/20 season the quartet will perform a complete Beethoven quartet cycle over the course of three return visits to Middlebury College in Vermont as part of an ongoing residency. ... Heath Quartet. It’s amazing, especially now that we have just undergone a personnel change in the quartet. The Heath Quartet has been playing for 15 years now. Cerys: I think one of the most significant moments was doing our first Beethoven cycle. Chris: Yes, we absolutely thrive on it. Shame on you! Access our paywalled content and archive of magazines, regular news and features for the limited offer of $3 per month. 74, No. A number of organisations provide support for musicians, artists and arts workers. It’s quite rare really, and we don’t take it for granted. I think a lot of people who don’t know the pieces already are surprised by them and really enjoy them because, although it’s not easy music to listen to, it’s very rewarding. Access our paywalled content and archive of magazines, regular news and features for the limited offer of $3 per month. Chris: I don’t know about you guys, but my favourite is the third. In 2012 they won the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Ensemble Prize and are currently nominated for an RPS Award. Subscribe now, A pioneering recording offers a fascinating window into the musical world of Henry VIII’s controversial second wife. Among the ensemble’s chamber music partners are renowned artists such as Kristian Bezuidenhout, Trevor Pinnock, Jonathan Cohen, Cedric Tiberghien, Nicolas Baldeyrou, Chen Halevi, Malcolm Bilson, Christian Poltera and Christophe Coin.