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Press comments

"...The opening Mozart Quartet was delicate, graceful, precisely in tune and, above all, beautiful. Their eye contact, body language and overall enthusiasm for performing on the highest possible were all evident. (...). The Penderecki Quartet was one of the two highlights of the evening. (...) From the very first down bow it was readily apparent that the musicians were in intimate musical contact with each other regarding timing, nuance and phrasing. The Quartet by Lason was the most interesting and enjoyable work and new to everyone in attendance. The quartet explored with great precision and detail the wonderful musical ideas Lason intended. The slow, dramatically somber opening melodic gestures were meditative and introspective. The wonderfully calculated glissandi were well performed and enhanced the overall musical texture that at times seemed to drift from one adjacent shade of color to the next. The fast section that followed allowed the Akademos to show their awesome talent and virtuosity..."

"In Jean Balissat's "L'Or perdu", the Akademos Quartet proved to be an ensemble of the highest rank. The quality and richness of its sound is fascinating and truly captivating. Such an entrapping of the listener's imagination is for sure the mark of a great quartet. It's even more admirable when we realise that we are listening to a relatively young ensemble while many other quartets need years to achieve a comparable level of performance. The performance of Bujarski's 'Advent Quartet', was characterised by a gradually growing tension, musical precision and an elaborate sound palette. All these elements added to a marvellous effect. To all the compliments written above I must surely add the beautiful shaping of the musical phrase and mutual understanding between the musicians present in their playing"

"..From concerts heard during 12.th Days of Cracovian Composers Music Festival, two impressed me the most. The first one was of "Akademos" Quartet, played in chapter-house of Black Friars Church. Young Silesian Ladies presented works of Jacek Sajka, Zbigniew Bujarski and Jean Balissat. Their sound, involevement, and amazing technical maturity created music to fly high with. [...] Actually, Poland can be happy to have next superb string quartet."

"...Next brilliant young string quartet at Warsaw Autumn. Akademos is a stem of New Music Orchestra."

"...In Lutoslawski's quartet the young chamber players did very well managing the complex form of the composition -- representative of the composer's "limited aleatorism" -- and in fact co-authored a work that burst with emotion and enchanted the listener with the flicker of instrumental colors as well as with the technical brilliance of performance. Moniuszko was simple, melodious and loaded with feeling -- just like all the works of the mostly underrated composer."

"...The Quartet is very successful in achieving the level of concentration required in this composition [i.e. in W.Lutoslawski's string quartet] to sustain a flawless, vivid, natural musical narrative. The interpretation was truly professional. The Quartet's leader, Irena Kalinowska, deserves, perhaps, the most compliments: she not only set the tone for the quartet, but also assumed the ultimate responsibility for the whole..."

"... The young artists have mastered the skill of combining silken gracefulness and subtlety with flare and emotional, forceful expression. The performance of Mozart's Divertimento was a show of the players' teamwork spirit and perfect coordination... In R.Schumann's String Quartet in A Major the immaculate clarity of their play made colossal impression on the audience... "

"...The Akademos's interpretations are well thought over and, at the same time, retains a touch of freshness and novelty...the popular pieces, under the players' competent fingers, have been originally transformed and bestowed with a new life...Mozart's quartets had little to do with the stale recordings of the 60-ties and 70-ties; performed with swiftness and precision, free of academic interpretations. They gave forth all the power and joy inherent in them. The dramatic quartet by Grieg was just as captivating and homogeneous. At the close of the concert, the hall resounded with A.Dvorak's String Quartet in F major. The reflective, subtle Lento and the fiery Finale both yielded to the musicians' mature, convincing tackle."

Opinions

"...All the ladies have a fine, delightful and balanced sound; indeed they sound the way one would expect in chamber music where four players must melt into one. Adding skillful technique, admirable coordination, and a good deal of enthusiasm, we are faced with the quartet which unique sound sounds more experienced than their short, promising career..."

"In my opinion, the 'Akademos' Quartet have a great future ahead of them. Their play is characterized by exceptional vigor and a lot of sheer enthusiasm, resting on very solid technical foundations. I will not hesitate to recommend this promising young Polish band to anyone who loves music. "

"From a composer's viewpoint, the "Akademos" Quartet has some very important strengths: they show accuracy in preparing each composition, giving enough attention to the original score and the composer's intent, which, filtered and enhanced through the players' personal interpretations, produce an impressive effect... It certainly is one of the most interesting bands on the music scene of Silesia."