Concerts in Prague: Martinů Quartet

Tickets to a classical chamber music concert at Chateau Zbraslav in Prague, Czech Republic, featuring Martinů Quartet.

Lubomír HAVLÁK - 1st Violin,
Irena HERAJNOVÁ - 2st Violin,
Jan JÍŠA - Viola,
Jitka VLAŠÁNKOVÁ - Cello

Martinů Quartet was founded in 1976 at the Prague Conservatory in the class of Prof.Viktor Moučka, a member of the Vlach Quartet. During the study at AMU (Academy of Music) under the leadership of Prof.Antonín Kohout, a member of the Smetana Quartet, they startet a successful activity under the name of Havlák Quartet and received many awards respectfully. Among them was the special prize of 1990 Czech Chamber Music Society as well the prize of Bohuslav Martinů with special emphasis of Martinů's chamber music. At the same time they gained a valuable experience from active workshops with renowned quartet ensembles (Tel Aviv Quartet, Amadeus Quartet, Guarneri Quartet, Julliard Quartet and others ). They participated in eight international competitions with the result of eight awards with seven laureate titles, the most notable being in Portsmouth (Great Britain), ARD (Munich), Evian (France) and Prague Spring. In 1985 the ensemble, with the approval of the Bohuslav Martinů Society , took the name of Martinů Quartet, while pledging to promote Martinů's chamber music.

They have appeared all over Europe and have made regular tours of the USA, Canada, Spain, Japan and England. They have been heard at festivals, including Brighton, Warwick, Leamington, Bath, the City of London Festival, the Orlando Festival in Netherlands, Kuhmo in Finland and other venues in Sweden, Paris, Frankfurt-Mohan, Wigmore Hall in London, the Paris Opera de la Bastille, the Berlin Schauspielhaus, as well in mid-European festival at Europa-Musicale in Munich. The Martinů Quartet is a regular guest at The Prague Spring Festival.

They have recorded complete seven Martinů's string quartets for the NAXOS label. In 2003 they released the works of Bodorová (Terezín Ghetto Requiem) and Stevenson which received an award of the CD of the Month on internet of British MW Classical Music Web. In 2004 they received respectful award MIDEM in Cannes as a best CD of the year in the solo/ensemble repertoire of 20th Century.

The Martinů Quartet boasts a broad repertoire, with special emphasis on Czech chamber music. Apart from many recordings for Czech Radio, Radio France, BBC, ARD, ORF, the Martinů Quartet appears on the recording labels Naxos. Harmonia Mundi, Panton, Romantic Robot, Arco Diva, Studio Matouš and others.