The Kairos Quartet is a Berlin-based

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

founded in 1996.

History

The Kairos Quartet (initially "work in progress quartet") specialises in music from 1950 onwards. At the time of its foundation in 1996details
at the it was the first string quartet with such an orientation in the German-speaking world. It is named after

Kairos Kairos ( grc, καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning 'the right, critical, or opportune moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'. It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other bei ...

, in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

the god of the favourable moment and the embodiment of the subjective concept of time. The quartet made its debut at the

Darmstädter Ferienkurse Darmstädter Ferienkurse ("Darmstadt Summer Course") is a regular summer event of contemporary classical music in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany. It was founded in 1946, under the name "Ferienkurse für Internationale Neue Musik Darmstadt" (Vacation Cou ...

in Darmstadt in 1996, where it was also taught by the primarius of the

Arditti Quartet The Arditti Quartet is a string quartet founded in 1974 and led by the British violinist Irvine Arditti. The quartet is a globally recognized promoter of contemporary classical music and has a reputation for having a very wide repertoire. T ...

. It has since collaborated with many composers, including

Georg Friedrich Haas Georg Friedrich Haas (born 16 August 1953 in Graz, Austria) is an Austrian composer. In a 2017 ''Classic Voice'' poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000, pieces by Haas received the most votes (49), and his composition ''in vain'' (20 ...

György Kurtág György Kurtág (; born 19 February 1926) is a Hungarian classical composer and pianist. He was an academic teacher of piano at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from 1967, later also of chamber music, and taught until 1993. Biography György ...

Helmut Lachenmann Helmut Friedrich Lachenmann (born 27 November 1935) is a German composer of contemporary classical music. His work has been associated with "instrumental musique concrète". Life and works Lachenmann was born in Stuttgart and after the end of ...

Liza Lim Liza Lim (born 30 August 1966) is an Australian composer. Lim writes concert music (chamber and orchestral works) as well as music theatre and has collaborated with artists on a number of installation and video projects. Her work reflects her int ...

, Sergej Newski,

Enno Poppe Enno Poppe (born 30 December 1969 in Hemer, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German composer and conductor of classical music, and an academic teacher. Career Enno Poppe studied composition and conducting at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin with ...

and

Wolfgang Rihm Wolfgang Rihm (born 13 March 1952) is a German composer and academic teacher. He is musical director of the Institute of New Music and Media at the University of Music Karlsruhe and has been composer in residence at the Lucerne Festival and the Sa ...

.Kairos Quartett
at the (as of September 2010) The Kairos Quartet frequently performs at

Neue Musik Neue Musik (English ''new music'', French ''nouvelle musique'') is the collective term for a wealth of different currents in composed Western art music from around 1910 to the present. Its focus is on compositions of 20th century music. It is char ...

festivals in Europe and Mexico. In autumn 2018, the quartet made its debut in China with a concert and several workshops at the

Shanghai Conservatory of Music The Shanghai Conservatory of Music () was founded on November 27, 1927, as the first music institution of higher education in China. Its teachers and students have won awards at home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name "the crad ...

. Its repertoire now includes over 150 compositions (as of spring 2019), including more than 60 premieres and commissioned works. The Kairos Quartet is also actively involved in teaching

, among others at the

Zurich University of the Arts Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK, german: Zürcher Hochschule der Künste) has approximately 2,500 students, which makes it the largest arts university in Switzerland. The university was established in 2007, following the merger between Zurich' ...

, the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...

, the

Universität Mozarteum Salzburg Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the “Mozarteum” moniker in Salzburg municipality; the International Moz ...

, the

Shanghai Conservatory The Shanghai Conservatory of Music () was founded on November 27, 1927, as the first music institution of higher education in China. Its teachers and students have won awards at home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name "the crad ...

, the Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou, and the

Berlin University of the Arts The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research universiti ...

. It sets its own accents through self-organised concerts, alternative concert formats and concert series.

Members

* Veronika Paleeva, violin (9/2021–12/2021: Daniella Strasfogel, 1996-2021: Wolfgang Bender) * Alicja Pilarczyk, violin (2008–2021: Stefan Häussler, 6/2007–5/2008: Susanne Zapf, 1997–2007: Chatschatur Kanajan, 1996–1997: Kathrein Allenberg) * Simone Heilgendorff, viola * Claudius von Wrochem, violoncello The violins alternate in the function of the first violin.

Prizes and scholarships

* Kranichstein Scholarship * German Record Critics' Prize 1/2005. * Composition commissions from the Berlin Senate. * Concerts of the German Music Council * Scholarship holder of the Akademie Schloss Solitude 2000/2001 (as first ensemble)Akademie Schloss Solitude 2000/2001
/ref> * Sponsorship awards from the Ernst von Siemens Foundation * Project funding by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds * Project funding by the Foundation Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin * Ensemble funding by the Senate of Berlin * Ensemble funding by Deutsche Musikrat: NEUSTART for ensembles and bands

Recordings

* Portrait of the Kairos Quartet at Edition Zeitklang * Georg Friedrich Haas: String Quartets 1 and 2 at Edition Zeitklang * Portrait of the composer Viera Janarcekova at ProViva * Portrait of the composer Enno Poppe at col legno * "Wider den Strich" ( among others Orm Finnendahl ''Fälschung'' for string quartet, laptop, ghetto blaster and live electronics (2003) at Red Seal * Composer portrait Jay Schwartz at Wergo (German Music Council). * Composer portrait Knut Müller: "Chamber Music" with ''Thorn''

996 Year 996 ( CMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * February - Chotoku Incident: Fujiwara no Korechika and Takaie shoot an arrow at Retired Em ...

(1st string quartet, recording from 2001, EZ), Zeug

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: ...

(2nd string quartet)2012 Edition Zeitklang * "Klangnarbe" - composer portrait Marina Khorkova a. a. String Quartet No. 1 at Wergo (German Music Council). * mientras" Schönberg String Quartet No. 2 and Sabine Panzer ''mientras'' with Angelika Luz (soprano) at Edition Zeitklang - www.zeitklang.de * Recordings and productions on most German broadcasters as well as ORF, RAI, DRS and the BBC.

References

External links

* * {{portal bar, Classical music, Germany German string quartets Musical groups established in 1996