Animato Quartet

Nationality The Netherlands

More information

Inga Våga Gaustad, violin
Tim Brackman, violin
Elisa Karen Tavenier, viola
Pieter de Koe, cello

 

The Animato Quartet is widely considered to be one of the most promising young string quartets in the Netherlands with its members being praised for their passionate, spontaneous playing and their powerful on-stage presence. Founded in 2013, their programs contain a combination of classical music with inspiration from the abundant string quartet repertoire and contemporary compositions some of which have been especially composed for the ensemble.

Within the Netherlands the quartet has performed in the Kleine Zaal of Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Tivoli-Vredenburg in Utrecht and Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ in Amsterdam during the 2020 String Quartet Biennale. They played at festivals such as the Utrecht International Chamber Music Festival and outside the Netherlands, in Portugal, Germany, Norway and France.

In September 2021, the quartet received a third prize, and the special Jury Prize, at the famous International Chamber Music Competition in Trondheim.

In 2014, not long after their inauguration, the Animato Quartet received an award for ‘Artistic Excellence’ at the Brazilian ‘Festival International de Inverno de Campos do Jordao’. In the same year, the quartet was laureate of the Grachtenfestival Competition (2014). Later, in 2017 the quartet received the prestigious string quartet grant from the Kersjes Foundation, one of the largest private culture funds in the Netherlands supporting young talent.

Being ‘artist in residence’ as part of the post-grad program of the Dutch String Quartet Academy, the Animato feels hugely privileged to work with inspiring artists and coaches such as Marc Danel and Eberhard Feltz. Approximately four times per year, the Animato Quartet participates in sessions organized by the European Chamber Music Academy, where they receive intensive coaching from Hatto Beyerle and Johannes Meissl. Alongside these sessions, their development both as musicians and as a quartet has also greatly benefited from lessons by top musicians such as Anner Bylsma, Jan-Willem de Vriend, Alfred Brendel, Gerhard Schultz and Vera Beths.

The Animato Quartet is also supported by Le Dimore del Quartetto, an organization focused on helping young string quartets in their careers: they provide opportunities for study and performances in historic venues in Italy.

With pianist Hanna Shybayeva, they recorded in 2020 and 2021 both Beethoven’s Piano Concerto nr. 1 in a transcription for string quintet as well as Piano Concerto nr. 4. In the near future, the quartet is looking forward to new challenges, such as the Concerto for violin, piano and string quartet by Ernest Chausson, with Noé Inui and Vassilis Varvaresos.

The Animato Quartet feels grateful to play on beautiful instruments. Tim’s violin (B. Gabrielli-Florence, 1764), Inga’s violin (Riccardo Antoniazzi) and the cello of Pieter (Joh. Th. Cuypers-The Hague, 1775-’80) are on loan from the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation (NMF). Elisa Karen is playing a viola by Daniel Royé, purchased with the support of Stichting Eigen Muziekinstrument (SEM).

 

www.animatokwartet.nl

Prizes