Cristiano Gualco, violin
Paolo Andreoli, violin
Simone Gramaglia, viola
Giovanni Scaglione, cello
In a programme of Malipiero: Quartet No. 2 Stornelli e ballate, Mendelssohn: Quartet Op. 80 and Beethoven: Quartet Op. 130
In association with Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai
Photo credit: Nicolaj Lund
Since its formation in 2000, the Quartetto di Cremona has established a reputation as one of the most exciting chamber ensembles on the international stage. Regularly invited to perform in major music festivals in Europe, North and South America, and Far East, they garner universal acclaim for their high level of interpretive artistry.
Borletti Buitoni Trust Fellowship prize winner in 2005, the ensemble received also the “Franco Buitoni Award” (2019) for its constant contribution to the promotion of chamber music in Italy and around the world. In 2021, Quartetto di Cremona was designated a Si-Yo Master Artist™️ Ensemble.
In 2020 the Quartet celebrated its first twenty years of career, with distinguished concerts and recording projects developed over consecutive seasons. Among them, the release of “Italian Postcards” (Avie Records), which assembles evocations of the Mediterranean country by four non-natives composers, such as Mozart, Wolf, Tchaikovsky and Nimrod Borenstein who wrote a brand-new piece for the occasion. The album has been very well received by international critics.
The 2020–21 season highlights included debut performances at the Rudolfinum in Prague and at the CRR Concert Hall in Istanbul, as well as concerts in Germany, France, Scandinavia and at major Italian concert societies.
The 21/22 season includes concerts in Milan, Rome, Madrid, Linz, Montreal, Houston, the debut at Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York and at the Kuhmo International Festival (Finland). The Quartet is also collaborating with numerous artists such as Angela Hewitt, Eckart Runge, David Orlowsky, and the Emerson Quartet.
Noteworthy previous recording projects include a double CD dedicated to Schubert and featuring cellist Eckart Runge. The album was recorded with the Stradivarius set of instruments named “Paganini Quartet”, on kind loan from the Nippon Music Foundation (Tokyo), and attracted high levels of acclaim in the international press. Same goes for the Beethoven’s string quartets cycle: the eight volumes won prestigious awards (including Echo Klassik 2017 and ICMA 2018) and received numerous recognitions from specialized critics.
Frequently invited to present masterclasses in Europe, Asia, North and South America, the members of the quartet have been Professors at the Walter Stauffer Academy in Cremona since 2011. They are ambassadors for the international project “Friends of Stradivari” and honorary citizens of Cremona, UNESCO Cultural Heritage for violin making. They also endorse the “Le Dimore del Quartetto” project and Thomastik Infield Strings.
