Quartetto Michelangelo

The Michelangelo Quartet was formed in 2002 by musicians distinguished as soloists, chamber musicians and teachers sharing a desire to play together the greatest repertoire of all. Mihaela Martin, Conrad Muck, Blythe Teh Engstroem and Frans Helmerson bring together classical music traditions from Europe and beyond, forging these experiences into the quartet’s unique voice.

Mihaela Martin was the first ever winner of the Indianapolis International Violin Competition and teaches at the Barenboim Said Academy in Berlin. Conrad Muck has led both the Petersen and Leipzig String Quartets and is well known as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher and jurist. Blythe Teh Engstroem has a distinguished record as chamber musician and violist, having played with artists such as Pinchas Zuckerman, Nobuko Imai, Gautier Capuçon and the Ebène and Kopelman Quartets. Frans Helmerson combines his love of solo and chamber music with his career as a teacher, holding positions at the Kronberg Academy and the Barenboim Said Academy. Members of the quartet have won many international prizes and have worked with artists including Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Itzhak Perlman, Elena Bashkirova, Daniel Barenboim and Sir András Schiff.

Together they bring to the string quartet repertoire a wealth of experience and wisdom as well as the benefit of many years of music-making at the highest level. Their performances are known for their conviction, their depth and their understanding.

Reviewers have written of their ferocious intensity of concentration and their towering virtuosity and stamina, recognising the exceptional insight and ability this ensemble brings to all its performances.

The quartet has played in Europe, Japan and the USA, in major halls including the Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées Paris, Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall, London, and the Tonhalle Zürich, and at festivals including Edinburgh, Kuhmo, Jerusalem, Delft, Verbier and the Pablo Casals. Projects have included a complete Beethoven cycle in Perth, Scotland, as well as a residence at the Lammermuir Festival. Their Beethoven cycle has also been given in Japan. In the USA, they have played in Carnegie Hall and the Library of Congress, Washington, amongst other venues.