Casals Quartet is a Spanish string quartet with an outstanding international career since 1997. They have won first prizes at prestigious competitions in London and Hamburg and have since appeared on the stages of the world’s most renowned concert halls — from Carnegie Hall, and the Berlin and Paris Philharmonics, to the Vienna Konzerthaus.

The quartet has received numerous prestigious awards in Spain and serves as an official cultural ambassador of Catalonia and the Ramon Llull Institute. The Casals Quartet will perform in Bulgaria for the first time as part of the 65th International Music Festival March Music Days.

With more than 27 years of performing together, the musicians of the Casals Quartet boast an extensive discography with the Harmonia Mundi label, covering repertoire from lesser-known Spanish composers such as Arriaga and Toldrá to Viennese classics including Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms. Some of their most memorable performances feature favorite composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Zemlinsky, Bartók, Ligeti, and Kurtág.

The quartet’s program includes intriguing works, such as string quartets by Haydn and Schubert, as well as the contemporary composition Fiery Earth by composer Elisenda Fábregas. This piece was written specifically for the Casals Quartet, offering the audience a mature work finely tuned to the dynamics of a chamber ensemble.

Haydn’s string quartets are among his most ambitious chamber works, captivating listeners with the continuous exchange of motifs between the instruments. The audience at March Music Days will be able to enjoy the sensitive performance and interpretation of this Spanish ensemble.

Schubert’s string quartet is the last quartet he composed before his death. The work, part of the musicians' repertoire, is distinguished by highly lyrical ideas and a broad range of major and minor tonalities, giving it strong emotional contrasts and a rich dynamic spectrum.

Performers

Vera Martínez – violin

Abel Tomàs – violin

Cristina Cordero – viola

Arnau Tomàs – cello