Ebène Quartet
Pierre Colombet, Violin
Gabriel Le Magadure, Violin
Mathieu Herzog, Viola
Raphaël Merlin, Cello
Distinguished by its youth, open-mindedness, and versatility, France's Ebène Quartet has
had a meteoric rise to the top. Now among the world's most sought-after quartets, the Ebène
Quartet made its US debut tour in March 2009 to widespread critical acclaim. The tour
featured performances in Boston, Seattle, and Washington, DC, as well as at Carnegie Hall.
In October 2009, the Ebène Quartet won Recording of the Year at the Gramophone
Awards for its CD of Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré string quartets, marking only the fourth
time that a chamber ensemble has won this prestigious prize. This same recording was named
Gramophone's December 2008 Editor's Choice, and received five-star ratings from
both BBC Music Magazine and London's Sunday Times.
As part of its multiyear deal with Virgin Classics, the Ebène Quartet released a Brahms CD
in the fall of 2009, and released a jazz and crossover CD, Fiction,in the fall of
2010. This improvisatory recording with the group known in France as "The Other Ebène"
featured collaborators of international stature, including soprano Natalie Dessay.
Considered one of the finest quartets of its generation, the Ebène Quartet was named
BBC Music Magazine's 2009 Newcomer of the Year, and was also nominated for the
renowned Les Victoires de la Musique Classique Chamber Music Ensemble of the Year. In June
2006, the quartet was admitted to the esteemed BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, and in
2004 was awarded first prize at the prestigious ARD Competition in Munich. In 2005, the
Ebène Quartet won the Forberg-Schneider Foundation's Belmont Prize; the organization has
since generously arranged to have the quartet play four unique Italian instruments loaned
by private owners.