„Passion, precision, warmth, a gold blend: these are the trademarks of this excellent Israeli string quartet.“ Such was the Times’ (London) impression of the Jerusalem Quartet. 

Jerusalem Quartet is a jewel among string quartets found in 1993. Since the ensemble'their debut in 1995, the four Israeli musicians have embarked on a remarkable journey of growth and maturation. Their expansive repertoire and extraordinary depth of expression have firmly established them as a distinctive voice in the string quartet tradition.

At the heart of their sound lies a warm, full, and deeply human tone, paired with an egalitarian balance between high and low voices. This approach allows the quartet to combine individual expressivity with a transparent and faithful presentation of the composer’s work. It also drives their ongoing refinement of interpretations of the classical repertoire, while encouraging explorations of new musical territories The Jerusalem Quartet is a regular and cherished guest on the world’s most prestigious concert stages.

The year 2025 will mark the Quartet’s 30th anniversary. In 2025, the ensemble celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special focus on Shostakovich’s 15 quartets, presented across 10 cities worldwide, including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Beethovenfest Bonn, Philharmonie Cologne, and Tonhalle Zurich. Highlights of the upcoming 2025/2026 season include two North American tours, as well as extensive performances across Europe, with concerts at renowned venues such as the Konzerthaus Wien and Wigmore Hall in London. Another season milestone for the Quartet will be a series of quintet concerts in spring 2026 with celebrated pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, taking place at prestigious venues including the Gewandhaus in Leipzig and the Alte Oper in Frankfurt.

The Jerusalem Quartet’s recordings have received numerous awards and accolades, including the Diapason d’Or and the BBC Music Magazine Award for Chamber Music. Previous Harmonia Mundi releases include a unique exploration of Jewish music in Central Europe between the wars, featuring a collection of 1920s Yiddish cabaret songs from Warsaw performed with Israeli soprano Hila Baggio, as well as the second volume of their complete Bartók cycle released in 2020. Today, the quartet records exclusively for BIS, with their first release for the label in 2025 featuring Shostakovich Quartets No. 2, 7 & 10.

In its original lineup, the quartet consisted of the musicians Alexander Pavlovsky (violin), Sergei Bresler (violin), Ori Kam (viola), and Kyril Zlotnikov (cello). After violist Ori Kam left the ensemble, his position was taken by guest violists Alexander Gordon and Mathis Rochat.