Bennewitz Quartet
A
Born
Czech Republic
Studies at / with
Academy of Performing Arts Prague
Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet)
Walter Levin (La Salle Quartet)
Highlights

Awards & Prizes
Laureate of the Chamber Music Society by Czech Philharmony
Diploma of the Queen of Spain "Best chamber music ensemble" (2002/2003)
 ARD Music Competition - special prizes (2004)
1st Prize International Chamber Music Competition (Osaka 2005)
1st Prize Borciani Competition (Italy 2008)
Recordings with
Hänssler Classic, Supraphon, Coviello Classics
Short Biography
Jakub Fišer | Violin
Štěpán Ježek | Violin
Jiří Pinkas | Viola
Štěpán Doležal | Cello

The Czech Bennewitz Quartet (named after the renowned Czech violinist Antonin Bennewitz, 1833-1926) first came together in 1998 at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.

A significant part of the development of the quartet came through working with two highly regarded musicians when they studied in Madrid with Rainer Schmidt of the Hagen Quartet from 2002–2004 and subsequently by the great teacher Walter Levin of the former La Salle Quartet at the Basel Music Academy – where the Bennewitz Quartet fulfilled an additional role as the Quartet in Residence.

Even in their student years, the ensemble was already a recipient of numerous awards. These included the laureate of the Chamber Music Society of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; the diploma of the Queen of Spain for the best chamber music ensemble in 2002/2003; two special prizes in the 2004 ARD Music Competition, followed one year later by the first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Osaka. In 2008 the Bennewitz Quartet won the first prize at the highly acclaimed Borciani Competition in Italy.

The Bennewitz Quartet's intentions have been vividly demonstrated on numerous CD’s: 2008 (Coviello Classics) in works by Bartók and Janácek, 2010 on their second CD with both string quartets by Smetana, 2011 (Supraphon) they released the CD Clarinet Quintets and in 2012/2013 (Hänssler Classic) a double CD with the Cypresses (Songs & String Quartets) of Dvořák. The second recording with Hänssler Classic, featuring Dvořák’s string quartets op. 51 and op. 106, will be realized this season.

2014/2015
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