ABOUT RUSQUARTET
Education
RUSQUARTET was formed in 2001 at the Academic College of Music under the supervision of G.V. Soboleva, a great cellist of the Prokofiev String Quartet. The College is affiliated with the Moscow Conservatoire. The members of the quartet graduated from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatoire and post-graduate course, class of Professor Shebalin (Borodin String Quartet).
Throughout the years, RUSQUARTET musicians were given master classes by the leading Russian and foreign performers. Henk Guittart (Holland, Schoenberg Quartet) became its teacher. The quartet was given master classes by such outstanding musicians as Valentin Berlinsky (Borodin Quartet), Mikhail Kopelman (Borodin Quartet, Kopelman Quartet), Igor Naidin (Borodin Quartet), Gerhard Schulz (Alban Berg Quartet), Peter Schuhmayer (Artis Quartet), Joel Smirnoff (Juilliard String Quartet), Philip Setzer (Emerson String Quartet), Don Weilerstein (Cleveland Quartet), Gabor Takacs (Takacs String Quartet), Barry Shiffman (St. Lawrence String Quartet), Mark Steinberg (Brentano String Quartet), and Denis Brott (Orford String Quartet).
RUSQUARTET took part in master classes in Banff Centre (Canada), Academie Musicale de Villecroze (France), Stanford University (USA) and MISQA in McGill University (Montreal, Canada).
Awards
During the years of study, RUSQUARTET achieved considerable success:
In the first year of foundation RUSQUARTET participated in Beethoven Festival in Moscow, where it was awarded the diploma.
In September 2006, the quartet won the first prize at the competition held in Germany (Rheinsberg) in the honor of Shostakovich’s 100th anniversary.
In 2007, the quartet was selected as one of the top ten string quartets invited to the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition (Canada), and since then it has become a permanent participant of the music festivals in Canada including Banff Summer Arts Festival.
In October 2008, the quartet won the 8th Shostakovich International String Quartet Competition in Moscow.
In November 2008, the quartet was awarded a diploma as a Semi-Finalist at the Tromp International Music Competition in the Netherlands.
In 2008, the International Union of Musicians and the Chamber Music Association awarded RUSQUARTET with the Gaydamovich grant “For Achievements in Chamber Ensemble Performance”. In 2011, RUSQUARTET was one of the 10 quartets selected for participation in the International Chamber Music Competition in Melbourne, Australia.
Creative activity
The musicians are actively promoting contemporary composers and rarely performed compositions. The quartet’s programs include Andrei Eshpai’s «Concordia discordance», two string quartets by Mikhail Marutaev, a string quintet for two violins, two violas, and a cello by Alexander Lokshin, as well as compositions by Georges Onslow, Lex van Delden (the Netherlands), Kelly-Marie Murphy (Canada), Steve Martland (Great Britain), and Jonathan Dove (Great Britain), Olli Mustonen (Finland).
On the 13th of September, 2010, RUSQUARTET performed a world premiere of Samuel Feinberg’s two-part string quartet. This outstanding Soviet pianist and teacher became famous for his piano compositions. Among them – three concerts for the piano with orchestra, 12 piano sonatas, suites, fantasies, four preludes, as well as a few vocal cycles. The score for the quartet has been found recently and the organizers of the festival commissioned RUSQUARTET to perform it. The concert took place at the Rachmaninov Hall of the Moscow Conservatory under the framework of the Festival devoted to Samuel Feinberg’s 120th anniversary.
The Dutch composer Louis Andriessen highly acclaimed the professionalism of the team, when RUSQUARTET performed all of his five quartets in March 2009 at the Vancouver festival dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the composer.
…The piece that followed, Facing Death, contained more humour and levity, despite its moody title. Written in 1990, it was based on the bebop licks of Charlie Parker, with quotes from the great saxophonist’s improvisations and original melody “Ornithology”. Frantic, almost disconcertingly dizzying, the piece moved at breakneck speed, conveying Parker’s own restless spirit. Requiring impeccable timing and virtually telepathic cohesion, the Rusquartet managed it with ease in a performance filled with energy, insight, and masterful ensemble work.
Music Arts Reviews on www.straight.com “Vancouver’s online Source”.
RUSQUARTET collaborated with the Borromeo Quartet, Stephen Prutsman (piano), Andrés Díaz (cello), Charles Neidich (clarinet), Philippe Graffin (violin), Sylvain Blassel (harp), Mona Julsrud (soprano), Glinka Quartet, Yankelevich Quartet, Dolce Quartet, Kevin Kwan Loucks (Piano).
RUSQUARTET performs in the best Moscow concert halls, including the Great, the Small, and the Rachmaninov Halls of the Moscow State Conservatoire. It is a constant participant of international competitions and festivals in France and Italy.
In 2009, RUSQUARTET took part in the concert in honor of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, who gave its performance the highest praises.
In 2011 participant of 21-st Sant-Nazaire CONSONANCES international chamber music festival (France).
The extensive repertoire of the quartet is diversified and comprises music of different styles and epochs.
RUSQUARTET performs lecture-concerts in schools and orphanages for the children who study music professionally, as well as the children who simply like music. The quartet performs compositions from various countries, styles, and epochs. Performances take place in a relaxed atmosphere of direct contact with the audience. Chamber music genre, quartet in particular, suits such educational sessions best since both performers and listeners are involved in a creative process. Such programs help get a priceless experience in performing chamber music when the main goal of the performers is to interest children in music – a major performing art – by making it accessible and exciting.
RUSQUARTET is experienced in radio and TV performance – CBC radio (Canada), SBS radio (Melbourne, Australia), radio «Orpheus» (RF), TV channel «Russia Today», «Al Jazeera», «Culture», «Stolitsa (the Capital)», “Doverie (Trust)”. The quartet publications – newspapers: in La Stampa, Il Monferrato, City Rhythm, Sochi News; magazines: Music Life 3/2010, Apraksin Blues #19/2010. Frequent critical publications appear on Russian information site and Classica.fm site.