Formed in 2006 by musicians from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in both Paris and Lyon graduating with the highest distinctions, the Béla quartet is renowned for devising special programmes, which present the great classical masterpieces together with 20th century repertoire and works by living composers.
The ensemble is well established in France, where all its members are based; they have appeared at the Philharmonie, Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord and Seine Musicale (Paris), Arsenal (Metz), Opéra de Lyon, Maison de la Culture (Bourges), as well as the Aix-en-Provence festival, Biennale Musique en Scène (Lyon), Les Musiques (Marseille), Flâneries Musicales (Reims) and the Folles Journées (Nantes). Abroad, the quartet has been invited to play at the Villa Medici (Roma), Beethoven Festival (Bonn), Market Theater (Johannesbourg), Ars Musica (Bruxelles), Printemps des Arts (Monte Carlo) and Festival Archipel (Genève).
In addition to classical and 20th century repertoire, which they regularly perform, they have premiered works by Philippe Leroux, Robert HP Platz, Francesca Verunelli, Francesco Filidei, Daniel D’Adamo, Thierry Blondeau, Benjamin de la Fuente, Jean-Pierre Drouet, François Sarhan, Nimrod Sahar, Jérôme Combier, Garth Knox, Sylvain Lemêtre, Frédéric Aurier and Frédéric Pattar, to name but a few.
Thriving in all different styles from the contemporary music world, the quartet collaborates with high profile artists, such as singer and comedian Elise Caron, fiddle player Jean-François Vrod, rock musician Albert Marcœur, with whom they also recorded, Jeli Moriba Koïta, young oud exponent Ahmad Al Khatib, cellist Noémi Boutin, harpist Valeria Kafelnikov, viola player Garth Knox as well as jazz musicians, for example, the Jean Louis Trio, pianist Roberto Negro and saxophonist Emile Parisien.
The Béla Quartet has released six CDs, including the recent Folding and Unfolding from the Cuitcatl Collection, with works by Thierry Blondeau and Daniel D’Adamo, and Métamorphoses Nocturnes featuring the two Ligeti quartets; the latter received outstanding critical acclaim worldwide (ffff Télérama, Gramophone Critic’s Choice Award).