Date/Time
10/Apr/2025 at 7:00 pm
Genre - Quartet
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Tim de Vries, 1st Violin
Karla Križ, 2nd Violin
Erin Pitts, Viola
Domonkos Hartmann, Cello
In a programme of Anton Webern: Slow movement for String Quartet, Joseph Haydn: String quartet in G major Op.77/1 and Antonín Dvořák: Quintet for Piano and Strings Op. 81
In association with
University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
The Motus Quartet was founded in October 2022 and consists of Tim de Vries, Karla Križ, Erin Pitts and Domonkos Hartmann. They met during their studies in Vienna, where the quartet currently studies with Johannes Meissl at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). Further, musical impulses have come from Hatto Beyerle, Eckart Runge, the Jerusalem Quartet, Peter Schuhmayer, the Danish String Quartet, Tim Frederiksen and Avedis Kouyoumdjian, among others.
The Motus Quartet regularly takes part in ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy) and Musethica sessions all over Europe. The ensemble got awarded, two prizes at the 2023 International Summer Academy of the mdw (isa): the Artis Quartet Award and the Viennese Classicism Award.
In April 2023, the quartet made its Vienna Konzerthaus debut in the Schubert Hall and in March 2024, they made their debut at the Vienna Musikverein. Recent concert engagements brought the quartet to the United States, Tunisia, Taiwan, Italy, Denmark and Switzerland, followed by their Dutch debut at the oncertgebouw Amsterdam last October. Tim de Vries performs on a violin made by Lorenzo Storioni (Cremona, 1793). Karla Križ plays on a composite Andrea Guarneri violin (Cremona, C17th).
Born in Mumbai, Marialena Fernandes has been for several years a recognized artist on the international scene. After acquiring her Licentiate Diploma of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM), Fernandes completed her education from the Mumbai University in Psychology. She then went on to the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where she received her Diploma in Piano and Chamber Music Performance with unanimous distinctions. She has performed in Solo, Chamber Music and Orchestra concerts in most European capitals, and also in the USA, Australia, Africa and Asia, with Annual TV and Radio broadcasts.
From 2015 – 2006, she was a Professor of piano and chamber music at the Joseph Haydn Conservatory Eisenstadt, Austria, and since 1991, she served as Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. She has taken workshops and masterclasses around the globe, and has been a jury member at International Competitions, and since 2007, she has done a Series Cycle ‘Uno, Due, Tre’ at the Musikverein Vienna. Fernandes has initiated several Projects with Women Composers and Gender themes and has taken annual lecture demonstrations presenting topical themes around the globe. In 2008, Marialena received the MIA Award for Woman with International background in the field of Art and Culture. In 2010, she was in Research Sabbatical as Faculty member and Scholar at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign USA. In 2013, Fernandes attained the PhD degree Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, for her thesis ‘The Konkani Song – Roots – Development – Documentation’. In 2014, she was invited to the ‘Beethoven Improvisation Symposium’ at MIT Massachusetts, USA.
Between 2015 – 2020, Fernandes conceived a project called ‘The Quest for Passion’ in which she incorporated musicians from Europe and Indian music lovers in the cities of Goa, Bangalore, Mangalore, Mumbai, Pune in dialogue with each other involving the talented youth discussing diverse artistic themes. Her partners have been ‘Hotel Palindrone’ a reputed Austrian Folk music quartet, The Three X, an International prize winning Polish trio playing 2 violins and piano. In 2017, she toured with a Woodwind Ensemble called ‘Trio Viennair’ back to Bangalore, Goa and Pune. She is also the Artistic Director and International Programme Curator in Crossover projects, in which Fernandes incorporates classical, jazz and world music fusions with an emphasis on Improvisation, intercultural exchange between Students, Teachers and Audiences.
In January 2025, Marialena Fernandes was awarded the prestigious Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award for her outstanding contribution in the field of education at the hands of the President of India at a ceremony in Bhubaneshwar.
