Assembly House Classical presents

Alinea Quartet

Fanny Anaïs Schell, Violin I

Mario Sögtrop, Violin II

Justus Schümmer, Viola

David Fuchs, Cello

Programme
Joseph Haydn - String Quartet C Major, Op. 20 No. 2
Ludwig van Beethoven - String Quartet C sharp Minor, Op. 131

Thursday 25 June 2026
1.00pm (doors open 12.30pm)
The Assembly House, Norwich

“Extraordinarily beautiful, refined, expressive and completely technically assured (…) this was musicianship of a very high order, and it was a thrill to be there to hear it (….). They reward the audience with a treat of the rarest music-making.” – Jeremy Thurlow

In typography, the “Alinea” symbol means the beginning of a new thought. The Alinea Quartet, based in Munich and founded in 2020, has set out to rethink the meaning and relevance of chamber music for our time.

On this search, they are looking to establish a dialogue with their audiences in conversational recitals, constantly striving to engage with different artforms and experimenting with innovative concert formats. This approach has led to performances in places as diverse as the Prinzregententheater Munich, Musikverein Graz, MAAT Museum Lisbon, Cambridge University and the Venice Biennale – but they also bring their music to elementary schools, retirement homes and children’s clinics.

The ensemble is studying with Prof. Alexander Pavlovsky (Jerusalem Quartet) at Kunstuniversität Graz. They also received valuable impulses from renowned musicians such as Jörg Widmann, Valentin Erben (Alban Berg Quartett), Heime Müller (Artemis Quartet), Gregor Sigl (Artemis Quartet), Ida Bieler (Melos Quartet), Oliver Wille (Kuss Quartet), the Jerusalem Quartet, the Cuarteto Casals, the Schumann Quartett and the Goldmund Quartet.

At the XI. International Competition “Annarosa Taddei” 2023, the Alinea Quartet won the First Prize. At the XII. Concorso Internazionale Musica Classica in Filadelfia, Italy, the Alinea Quartet won first prize as well as the special prize “Paolo Serrao”. In 2024, they won Second Prize in the “Da Vinci Young Sounds” Competition. They received scholarships from the Brahmsgesellschaft Baden-Baden and Jeunesses Musicales. In 2021 they were nominated for the special prize “Ton & Erklärung” by the Federation of German Industry and selected for the network “Le Dimore del Quartetto”. Since 2024, they have held a scholarship from “Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now”.

By combining their instrumental skills with their individual backgrounds in fields such as musicology, literature and philosophy, they seek to create new and exciting interpretations. In addition to their passion for the traditional quartet repertoire, the Alinea Quartet strives to explore further by creating their own arrangements of both classical and jazz music. The Alinea Quartet has performed as part of festivals around Europe, including Germany, Italy, Austria, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Great Britain and the Netherlands. Their debut album “Le temps perdu” will be published by DaVinci Classics in 2025.

“Besides their outstanding technical abilities, the four musicians are characterized by a great passion, freshness and straightforward will, paired with thorough knowledge of the pieces they play.” – Taunus Nachrichten
“an intricate performance (…) a magical night of music making.” – The Cambridge Critique

Contact the host of Alinea Quartet