Quatuor Agate Performs Beethoven String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130, II. Presto

The moving performance was filmed as part of the Banff International String Quartet Festival

At the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, in Banff, Canada, the Quatuor Agate won the Canadian Commission prize, for the best performance of “The Disappearance of Lisa Gherardini” for String Quartet by Sri Lankan-born Canadian composer Dinuk Wijeratne.

Comprised of violinists Adrien Jurkovic and Thomas Descamps, violist Raphaël Pagnon, and cellist Simon Iachemet, the group was formed in 2016 and studied at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin with Eberhard Feltz and in Paris under the guidance of Mathieu Herzog.

They now finish their studies with the Quatuor Ebène at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. In 2021, they were prize-winners at the prestigious YCAT International Auditions. Highlights this season include debut recitals at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Alte Oper Frankfurt and a tour across the UK.

Here, the group performs Beethoven String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130, II. Presto, filmed by Banff Centre's Rolston Sessions:

In 2017, the Banff International String Quartet Festival commenced in non-competition years and features competition alumni alongside special guests.

Led by Director of the Banff International String Quartet Competition Barry Shiffman, the three-day festival showcases today's exquisite talent in classical music.

The 2023 festival's in-person concerts recently came to a close. To celebrate the exciting programming, The Violin Channel will be streaming three of the festival's concerts.

Now available for playback, watch the VC Artist Viano Quartet performing Beethoven, Lau, and Smetena in addition to world-renowned artists performing a program of Vaughan Williams, Haydn, Carmen Braden, and Paul Nero. On October 5, tune in to see another group of performers play Beethoven, de Falla, Sarasate, Brahms, and Mendelssohn.