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Quartet: Made in Berlin

Made in Berlin (photo: Made in Berlin)

They are not native Berliners, but feel as if they are thanks to their profession: three string players from the Berliner Philharmoniker founded the ensemble Made in Berlin in 2016 – together with violinist Ray Chen, first prize winner of the “Concours Reine Elisabeth” competition. In this concert they present an eclectic programme: Hugo Wolf’s sparkling Italienische Serenade, Mozart’s intriguingly sombre Adagio and Fugue, Eugène Ysaÿe’s virtuoso Sonata for Two Violins, Jean Françaix’s Neoclassical String Trio, and Maurice Ravel’s shimmering, impressionistic String Quartet.

Made in Berlin

Ray Chen violin

Noah Bendix-Balgley violin

Amihai Grosz viola

Stephan Koncz cello

Hugo Wolf

Italian Serenade in G major

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546

Eugène Ysaÿe

Sonata for two violins, op. post.

Jean Françaix

String Trio

Maurice Ravel

String Quartet in F major

Dates and Tickets

Biographies

Made in Berlin

They may not be Berliners by birth, but they feel like such: three string players from the Berliner Philharmoniker and violinist Ray Chen, winner of numerous competitions, are Made in Berlin. In 2016, the Australian-Taiwanese Ray Chen and the American Noah Bendix-Balgley, 1st concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2014, founded the string quartet Made in Berlin. They are joined by Israeli-born Amihai Grosz, 1st principal viola of the Berliner Philharmoniker since 2010 and founding member of the Jerusalem String Quartet, and Austrian Stephan Koncz, also a cellist with the Philharmoniker since 2010.  However, the idea to found the quartet came earlier: “I met Noah in 2009 when we were both finalists in the Queen Elisabeth Competition, and we talked for a long time about the possibility of performing together. Together with Amihai and Stephan, our dream team was complete,” Ray Chen recalls. The quartet, which specialises in works which are not part of the standard string quartet repertoire, performs all over the world: from California to Brussels, Zurich – and of course in Berlin.