String Quartet
Biography:
The kiss quartet has been setting new standards for many years with a sophisticated conceptual program design. The aim and ideal is to offer both traditional audiences and new listeners a unique experience. The primaria Jana Kuss and Oliver Wille as the second violinist have been playing side by side for over 2 years. Along with longtime colleagues William Coleman and Mikayel Hakhnazaryan, they are curious to seek confirmation of the perennial "must it be?" of string quartet playing.
With the help of the »Musik 21 Niedersachsen« concept grant, the quartet has commissioned several new works for string quartet by Enno Poppe, Aribert Reimann, Manfred Trojahn, Bruno Mantovani, Iris ter Schiphorst, Johannes Fischer and Mark Andre. Cooperation partners included Concertgebouw and Muziekgebouw (Amsterdam), La Biennale Paris, Wigmore Hall (London) and Suntory Hall (Tokyo). In the coming years, Sara Glojnarić and Francisco Coll will compose new works for the Kuss Quartette.
The CD »FREIzeit«, released in November 2021, documents works by Enno Poppe, Aribert Reimann, Manfred Trojahn and is a creative collaboration with the percussionist and composer Johannes Fischer, whose work fragrance is also part of the album, the soprano Sarah Maria Sun and the slam poet Bas Böttcher. »The result is an enjoyable and funny CD [...] The whole thing sounds fresh and odd.« (Süddeutsche Zeitung) These musical partners join the long list of artists with whom the Kuss Quartet likes to get together again and again, including Miklós Perényi, Dénes Várjon, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Maurice Steger and many more.
At the beginning of its career, the quartet was awarded first prizes by the German Music Council and at the Borciani Competition, received a Borletti Buitoni Award and was a »Rising Star« of the European Concert Hall Organisation. Today, the Kuss Quartet inspires the next generation in numerous master classes, and William Coleman (in Salzburg), Mikayel Hakhnazaryan (in Karlsruhe) and Oliver Wille (in Hanover and Birmingham) also teach at European universities.
The Kuss Quartet plays Evah Pirazzi / Perpetual strings and would like to thank Pirastro very much for the many years of support!
Albums:
Third Attack – Music for Flutes and Strings:
