Founded in 2004 by four musicians of the Paris “Conservatoire National de Musique et de Danse”, the Voce Quartet was soon making its voice heard. After a few short years of existence, with the precious help of the Ysaÿe Quartet, the four artists have established their reputation at the international competitions of Geneva, Cremona, Vienna, Bordeaux, London and most recently at the competition ‘Franz Schubert and the Music of Modernity’ in Graz (Austria), from which they returned with three prizes (Second Prize, Interpretation Prize for the Ligeti quartet, and Audience Prize). These successes have led them to appear all over the world (Japan, Central America, United States, Europe, North Africa) and to share platforms with such outstanding musicians as Miguel da Silva and Pierre Fouchenneret.

The Voce Quartet is conscious of the need to allow listeners to experience classical music outside the conventional concert framework, and has experimented with various types of performance by lending its voice to silent films (by such directors as Murnau, Lubitsch, Keaton and Vidor) and to plays. Its members seize the opportunity to meet all kinds of audiences by providing the musical illustrations for the lectures of Bernard Fournier and the radio and television programmes of Jean-François Zygel (La Leçon de Musique, Le Cabaret Classique) and introducing their work in schools. They also have more personal musical projects such as the artistic direction of two festivals – the Festival de Cordes at La Charité-sur-Loire and Le Coeur en Musiques in the south of the Ardèche département.

The Voce Quartet is supported by the Académie Musicale de Villecroze, and also receives assistance from Cultures France, the Fondation du Groupe Banque Populaire, and Proquartet-CEMC; the last-named makes it possible for the ensemble to receive regular guidance from eminent teachers.

Text: © Nascor
Photo: Sophie Pawlak

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Weblink: quatuorvoce.free.fr

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