Quatuor Van Kuijk
Duration: 120 mins
Date: Saturday 26th September, 2026
“Masterworks was curated as both a tribute to the string quartet’s extraordinary evolution and a celebration of its expressive power.
The selection spans centuries, from the clarity and refinement of the classical era to the bold experimentation of the 20th century, allowing each piece to shed light on a different emotional and historical landscape. We chose these works not only for their individual brilliance, but also for the way they speak to one another across time – revealing contrasts, echoes, and unexpected connections. Performing them as a collection offers a richly layered experience for both players and audience and invites us to all explore how tradition and innovation continuously shape this intimate, dynamic form.”
Style, energy and a sense of risk. These four young Frenchmen made the music smile - The Guardian
Nicolas Van Kuijk violin
Sylvain Favre-Bulle violin
Gregoire Vecchioni viola
Anthony Kondo cello
Programme:
Mozart — String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465 "Dissonance"
I. Adagio – Allegro
Brahms — String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51 No. 2
III. Quasi minuetto, moderato
Debussy — String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10
II. Assez vif et bien rythmé
Haydn — String Quartet Op. 76 No. 5
II. Molto adagio – Largo cantabile e mesto
Mendelssohn — String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80
I. Allegro vivace assai
INTERVAL
Smetana — String Quartet No. 1 "From My Life"
I. Allegro vivo appassionat
Bartók — String Quartet No. 4
IV. Allegretto pizzicato
Dvořák — String Quartet No. 12 in F Major "American", Op. 96
II. Lento
Shostakovich — String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73
III. Allegro non troppo
Beethoven — String Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59 No. 2 "Razumovsky"
II. Molto adagio
Schumann — String Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 41 No. 1
IV. Finale
Quatuor Van Kuijk’s international accolades boast First, Best Beethoven, and Best Haydn Prizes at the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet competition; First Prize, and an Audience Award at the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition; as well as becoming laureates of the Aix-en-Provence Festival Academy. They were BBC New Generation Artists from 2015-17, as well as ECHO Rising Stars for the 2017-18 season.
Following such high success early in their career, the ensemble is an established presence at major international venues, performing at the Wigmore Hall, London; Philharmonie de Paris, Auditorium du Louvre, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, and Salle Gaveau, Paris; Tonhalle, Zurich; Wiener Konzerthaus and Musikverein, Vienna; Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam; Berliner Philharmonie; Kölner Philharmonie; Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg; Gulbenkian, Lisbon; Tivoli Concert Series, Denmark; Konserthuset Stockholm; and at festivals including the BBC Proms, Cheltenham, Heidelberg, Lockenhaus, Davos, Verbier, Aix-en-Provence, Montpellier/Radio France, Evian, Auvers-sur-Oise, Stavanger and Trondheim (Norway), Concentus Moraviae (Czech Republic), Haydn/Esterházy (Hungary), and Eilat (Israel).
Upcoming tours will see them make highly anticipated debuts at the Carnegie Hall in New York City, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Centre and UKARIA in Australia, and Shanghai Symphony Hall.
Quatuor Van Kuijk is supported by Pirastro and SPEDIDAM and is grateful to Anima Music Foundation and Mécénat Musical Société Générale for their sponsorships.
