With their charismatic playing, their fresh approach to tradition and their open approach to new forms, the quartet succeeds in inspiring a wide and younger audience, and in passing on their talent in regular master classes at the Paris Conservatoire.
In addition to the traditional repertoire, the quartet also frequently dips into other styles ("A string quartet that can effortlessly transform itself into a jazz band" New York Times, 2009). What began in 1999 as a diversionary exercise for four young musicians in the rehearsal rooms of the university - improvising on jazz standards & pop songs - became a trademark of Quatuor Ébène. To date, the quartet has released 3 albums in these genres, Fiction (2010), Brazil (2014) and Eternal Stories (2017). Their free approach to various styles creates a tension that benefits every aspect of their artistic work. This complexity in their musical oeuvre has been enthusiastically received by audiences and critics from the very beginning.
Quatuor Ébène's albums with recordings of Bartók, Beethoven, Debussy, Haydn, Fauré and the Mendelssohn siblings have received numerous awards, including Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine and the Midem Classic Award. In 2015 & 2016, the musicians dedicated themselves to the theme of "Lied". They collaborated on the album "Green (Mélodies françaises)" by Philippe Jaroussky and released a Schubert album with Matthias Goerne (arrangements for string quartet, baritone and double bass by Raphaël Merlin) and the Schubert String Quintet with Gautier Capuçon. Together with Antoine Tamestit, the Quatuor Ébène has recorded the Mozart String Quintets K. 515 & K. 516, which were released in fall 2022.
March 13, 2024
