Transylvanian Quartet
THE TRANSYLVANIAN QUARTET was founded in 1987, by four young and valuable players from the orchestra of the Cluj Philharmonic. In 1989, in recognition of its outstanding artistic level, this chamber ensemble acquired the statute of state quartet.
While Nicusor Silaghi (b. 1957), Marius Suarasan (b. 1957) and Vasile Jucan (b. 1957) were founders of the quartet, first violin George Dudea joined the ensemble in 1989, abandoning a high ranked position as leader of the Cluj Philharmonic Orchestra. Beginning with 2000, the quartet functions in a new formula, George Dudea being replaced by the well-known soloist Gabriel Croitoru, one of the most appreciated Romanian violin players.
All the members are virtuosos on their instruments. During the course of their studies, they all won many awards, and afterwards involved with such activities as solo playing, chamber music and recordings for broadcast and television. As for the string quartet playing, it is worth mentioning that they attended the international courses held at Nyrbator (Hungary), Oberschützen (Austria) with Alban Berg String Quartet member Thomas Kakuska, at Pommersfelden (Germany) with Professor Reiner Kusmaul.
While participating in the Orlando Festival in Kerkrade (The Netherlands) in 1990, they were remarked by Professor Earl Carlyss, former member of the Julliard String Quartet, who invited them to participate in the Aspen Festival, Colorado, in 1990, and offered them a grant for the Aspen Center for Advanced Quartet Studies. This was a most beneficial opportunity for the young musicians to work with such personalities as The Emerson String Quartet, The American String Quartet, Professors Steve Clapp and Donald Weilerstein, former member of the Cleveland String Quartet.
The Transylvanian String Quartet is widely performing in Romania and abroad – in Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Denmark, USA, Italy, Germany, Great Britain (at the well-known Wigmore Hall in London), Finland. The quartet won several prizes – at the “Gh. Dima” competition in Cluj, 1987, and twice at the National Art Festival of Romania, in 1987 and 1989. They also participated at prestigious festivals, such as the Festival of Aspen, the Festival Ravinia in Chicago, in Edinburgh, Kuhmo (Finland), Aldebourgh (England), The Mozart Festival in Chemnitz (Germany) and Cluj, the Festival Cluj Musical Autumn.
The repertoire of the TSQ includes famous classic, romantic and contemporary composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Verdi, Brahms, Chausson, Smetana, Dvořák, Stravinsky, Bártok, Shostakovich, as well as the Romanians Pascal Bentoiu, Theodor Rogalski, Theodor Grigoriu, Hans Peter Türk, Serban Nichifor.
PRESS COMENTS AND ARTISTS’ OPINION
“Authentic virtuosos of their instruments… possessing a magnificent technique… homogeneity without failure and a high professional level”.(
Diario de Pontevedra, November 1990)
“An absolutely outstanding string quartet: an excellent interpretation and a deep penetration of the sense of music. Its virtuosity transcends the individual level towards a perfect unity of the group.”
(Diario de Burgos, November 1990)
“The great musical sensitivity of this quartet and its magnificent technique are the sources of its extremely lively and coherent music marking, with such qualities as freshness, force and flexibility”. (El Norte de Castilla-Valldolid, November 1990)
“It caused the audience to go into ecstasies and showed them to be a well-knit ensemble”.
“From the first festive notes to the final encore the Quartet compelled the admiration of the audience”. (Brabants Dagblad, April 1992)
“Excellent discipline and technique, both as individuals and as a group… and idiomatic feeling for diverse styles”.(Eugene Drucker, Emerson String Quartet)
“The Transylvanian String Quartet is an outstanding ensemble distinguished by a dynamic approach to music-making: sincere, intelligent and full of spirit. I predict a brilliant future for them”. (Lawrence Foster, conductor)
“Great sensitivity and musical excellence… Especially gratifying is the emotional range of their expressiveness”. (Stephen Clapp, Dean, Aspen Music School)