Country

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Switzerland

Genre

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Chamber

 

The Amati Quartet is a renowned classical music ensemble that has been captivating audiences with their exceptional performances for over three decades. The quartet was founded in 1985 by four talented musicians who shared a passion for chamber music and a desire to create a unique sound that would set them apart from other ensembles. The founding members of the Amati Quartet were violinists Misha Keylin and Maria Bachmann, violist Michael Klotz, and cellist Yves Dharamraj. All four musicians had already established themselves as accomplished soloists and chamber musicians before coming together to form the quartet. They named their ensemble after the famous Amati family of violin makers, whose instruments are highly prized by musicians around the world. From the beginning, the Amati Quartet set out to explore the full range of the chamber music repertoire, from the classics of Haydn and Mozart to the modern works of Bartok and Shostakovich. They quickly gained a reputation for their technical precision, musical sensitivity, and innovative interpretations of both well-known and lesser-known works. Over the years, the Amati Quartet has performed at some of the world's most prestigious concert halls and music festivals, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Ravinia Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival. They have also collaborated with many of the world's leading musicians, including pianists Menahem Pressler and Leon Fleisher, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and violinist Joshua Bell. One of the highlights of the Amati Quartet's career was their performance of the complete Beethoven string quartets at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. This ambitious project took place over the course of several years and involved performing all 16 of Beethoven's quartets in chronological order. The quartet's performances were praised for their depth of emotion, technical mastery, and profound understanding of Beethoven's music. Another notable achievement for the Amati Quartet was their recording of the complete string quartets of Sergei Prokofiev. This recording, which was released on the Naxos label, received widespread critical acclaim and was hailed as a landmark achievement in the interpretation of Prokofiev's music. In addition to their performances and recordings, the Amati Quartet has also been recognized with numerous awards and honors. They were the first prize winners of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 1987, and they have also received the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Despite changes in personnel over the years, the Amati Quartet has remained committed to their original vision of creating a unique sound that blends technical excellence with emotional depth. Their performances continue to inspire and delight audiences around the world, and they remain one of the most respected and admired chamber music ensembles of our time.

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