Quatuor Ysaye

QUATUOR YSAŸE: DEBUSSY, FAUÉ, SCHUMANN

"A varied and high-quality program, by one of the best French string quartets. This promises to provide fireworks in the hall of the Handelsbeurs, which is extremely suitable for chamber music: a recommended intimate New Year's concert". (Hildegart Maertens, Jan 2011 Kwadratuur)

United in admiration for the famous Belgian violinist and composer Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931), four very young Parisian conservatory students created a quartet in 1984. Of the original members, only violist Miguel Da Silva has survived to this day. Over the years, the Quatuor Ysaÿe acquired name and fame with its stunningly expressive ensemble playing and wealth of sound variations. Like no other, the four gentlemen left their mark on French quartet literature, with their recordings of the string quartets by Ravel and Debussy as lasting landmarks. In addition to the classical repertoire, many contemporary composers dedicate works to them. Since 1993, they have been passing on their years of experience in quartet playing to a younger generation in a specially created class at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris.