Zemlinsky Quartett

Since its foundation in 1994 ZEMLINSKY QUARTET, has continued the deep Czech tradition of the string quartet. The ensemble received top prizes in the Banff International String Quartet Competition (2007), Prague Spring International Music Competition (2005) and London International String Quartet Competition (2006), where it was also awarded the Audience Prize. It also won several competitions in the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic (1999 – Beethoven International Competition, 2003 – New Talent Bratislava, 2004 – Martinů Foundation String Quartet Competition). The quartet became a finalist of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition (New York, USA – 2004) and recently it became the holder of the Prize of Czech Chamber Music Society for 2005.

During its studies in the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts Prague, the ensemble was led by members of the renowned Czech string quartets as Talich, Prague, Kocian and Pražák Quartet. The ensemble also took part in several master classes (ProQuartet, France, Sommerakademie Reichenau, Austria – 1st prize for the best interpretation of a work by L. Janáček). The recent tutor of the quartet is Josef Klusoň, the violist of the Pražák Quartet. In 2005-08, the quartet studied with Walter Levin, the first violinist of LaSalle Quartet. Currently all the members of the group teach as assistant quartet-in-residence in Musikakademie Basel (Switzerland).

Zemlinsky Quartet performs regularly in the Czech Republic and abroad (Germany, Austria, France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Canada, USA, Brazil). The repertoire of the ensemble is quite wide, containing works by many leading Czech and foreign composers, and also contemporary compositions. The group co-operates with the Czech TV and it has also recorded many string quartets for the Czech Radio. The members of the ensemble perform also as soloists, they are prize holders of several individual competitions (Concertino Praga, Spohr International Competition Weimar, Rotary Music Competition Nürnberg, Beethoven International Competition, Kocian International Competition).

Since 2007, Zemlinsky Quartet records exclusively for Praga Digitals. Their first cooperative project – a set of 4 CDs containing early works for string quartet by A. Dvořák – received the „Diapason d´Or“ prize in March 2007; in June 2007 another CD appeared, containing two string quartets by A. Zemlinsky. In January 2008, a set of early string quartets by F. Schubert was released. The first CD of the quartet (2003) contains works by famous Czech composers Dvořák, Janáček, Suk and Richter, the second CD with the string quartets by J. Suk (2004) resulted in a recital of the ensemble in the 2005 International Music Festival Prague Spring. Both these CDs found a positive response from The Strad musical magazine.

Currently the Zemlinsky Quartet teaches as assistant quartet-in-residence at Musikakademie Basel (Switzerland). During its tours the quartet is often invited to give numerous master classes to students of any age, and it also performs in school concerts. František Souček also teaches both solo violin and chamber music in the Prague Conservatory since 2009.

František Souček, violine

Petr Střížek, violine

Petr Holman, viola

Vladimír Fortin, violoncello