Your events at Classical Events
Details
The Buccleuch Centre
Langholm
Langholm
Dumfriesshire
DG13 0AW
England
Programme
Ludwig van Beethoven – String Quartet in B flat major, Op.18 no.6
Ludwig van Beethoven – String Quartet in F minor 'Serioso', Op.95
Performers
Ragazze Quartet
Other concerts in this Series (+)
Programme Note
Date: Thursday 19th November
Time: 2:30pm
Location: Buccleuch Centre, Langholm, DG13 0AW
Cost: Adults £12, Conc £10, Under 18’s £5
Programme:
Ludwig van Beethoven:
String quartet op. 18 no 6 in B flat major
String quartet op. 95 in f minor ‘Serioso’
String quartet op. 132 in a minor
Rosa Arnold – violin, Jeanita Vriens – violin, Annemijn Bergkotte – viola, Kirsten Jenson – cello
The Ragazze Quartet is a young, Dutch/British string quartet, acclaimed for its musical enthusiasm,talent, versatility and dynamic presentation. Its versatility in particular is exceptional within the world of chamber music. The quartet collaborates with and performs alongside composers, musicians and artists working in a variety of disciplines and genres. While grounded firmly in the classical music tradition, the Ragazze Quartet is always in search of the ultimate cross-over, where the different disciplines are approached as equals, complementing and elevating one another.
The quartet graduated from the Dutch String Quartet Academy (NSKA) where the Ragazze
attended masterclasses given by leading musicians from the international string quartet world, as well as receiving lessons from their regular teachers: Stefan Metz and Marc Danel. The quartet continue lessons with their mentor Luc Marie Aguera, violinist of the Quatuor Ysaye (made possible by the Dutch Kersjes Foundation).
In October 2007 the Ragazze Quartet toured Nepal, where, besides giving concerts, they
had the opportunity to meet and work with local musicians, introducing them to the concept
of fusing together eastern and western musical ideas. This would inspire many of their future projects. On their return from Nepal, the Ragazze Quartet were selected for a concert series called ‘The Debut’, resulting in performances in all the major Dutch concert halls, including Het Concertgebouw.
2010 saw the quartet make their first trip to the USA when they were invited to take part in the Kronos Quartet workshop in New York City. Following on from this, the Ragazze performed several pieces from the Kronos repertoire in Carnegie Hall.
In 2012 the Ragazze Quartet signed a contract with the renowned Channel Classics label to
record three CDs. Their first CD ‘Vivere’ has received high praise by the national and
international press. Their second CD will be released in the spring of 2015.
Last year the Ragazze were part of the Academy at the prestigious Verbier Festival in Switzerland, receiving masterclasses from Gabor Takacs and Alfred Brendel, and performing a number of recitals. They also toured through China with Chinese pipa-player Lingling Yu to perform Tan Dun’s ‘Ghost Opera’, a fusion of a classical concert, Chinese ritual and theatre play. In November 2013, the Quartet was awarded the prestigious ‘Kersjes Prize’, a scholarship of €50.000 given every year to a Dutch chamber music ensemble.
In October 2014, the Ragazze toured in Indonesia, where they performed ‘Perhatian’, a piece written by Dutch composer Reza Namavar, together with the Indonesia gamelan ensemble Kyai Fatahillah.
The Ragazze Quartet continues to perform regularly at chamber music venues throughout The Neterlands (such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Vredenburg Utrecht and Philipszaal The Hague), abroad (Paris, Prague, Geneva, Ljubljana, New York and Rio de Janeiro) and can be heard regularly on radio and television.
The violin played by Jeanita and the cello played by Kirsten are kindly lent by the National Music Instruments Foundation. The quartet owns four classical bows, built by Andreas Grütter, financed by the ‘Stichting Eigen Muziekinstrument.’
