Quatuor Ebène
Pierre Colombet, violin
Gabriel Le Magadure, violin
Mathieu Herzog, viola (until 2015)
Adrien Boisseau, viola (from 2015)
Raphaël Merlin, cello
What began in 1999 as a distraction in the conservatoire’s practice rooms for the four young French musicians has become a trademark of the Quatuor Ebène, and has generated lasting reverberations in the music scene. The four breathe new life into chamber music through their consistently direct, open-minded perspective on the works they play. Regardless of the genre, they approach the music with humility and respect.
After studies with the Quatuor Ysaÿe in Paris and with Gábor Takács, Eberhard Feltz and György Kurtág, the quartet celebrated an unprecedented victory at the ARD Music Competition in 2004. This marked the beginning of their rise, which has culminated in numerous further prizes and awards.
They communicate their knowledge in regular master classes at the Paris Conservatoire and the Colburn School in Los Angeles.
The Quatuor Ebène’s debut CD, featuring works by Haydn, was unanimously praised by the critics. Further recordings of music by Bartók, Debussy, Mozart, Fauré and the Mendelssohn siblings have won numerous awards, including the Gramophone Award, the ECHO Klassik, the BBC Music Magazine Award and the Midem Classic Award. Their 2010 album “Fiction”, a live CD and DVD recording of jazz arrangements, has only solidified their unique position in the chamber music scene. Their second crossover CD, “Brazil”, a collaboration with Stacey Kent, appeared in early 2014. In the same year, Erato released “A 90th Birthday Celebration”, a live CD and DVD recording of Menahem Pressler’s birthday celebration concert with the Quatuor Ebène in Paris.
After serving as its violist for 16 years, Mathieu Herzog left the quartet at the end of 2014 to fulfil his long-held dream of devoting himself completely to conducting. He has been replaced by Adrien Boisseau.
In 2005, the ensemble won the Belmont Prize of the Forberg-Schneider Foundation. Since then, the Foundation has worked closely with the musicians, making it possible for them – since 2009 – to play priceless old instruments from private collections.