About
In June of 2013, the Dudok Quartet (formerly Dudok Kwartet) gained the highest distinction following studies at the Dutch String Quartet Academy, and with numerous successes at a number of international competitions, the quartet is now recognised as one of the most promising young European string quartets.
In November of 2014 the Dudok Quartet was awarded the prestigious Kersjes Prize, an award given annually to an ensemble of exceptional talent in the Dutch chamber music scene. In 2013 the quartet was a finalist and laureate of the 7th International String Quartet Competition Quatuors à Bordeaux having already won first prizes at both the First International String Quartet Competition in Radom (Poland) in 2011 and the 27th Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition in 2012. Also in 2012 they received second prize at the 6th Joseph Joachim International Chamber Music Competition in Weimar (Germany).
The quartet first met as part of the Ricciotti Ensemble, a Dutch street symphony orchestra. From 2009 till 2011 they studied with the Alban Berg Quartett at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne before studying with Marc Danel at the Dutch String Quartet Academy. The quartet was coached intensively by Eberhard Feltz, Peter Cropper (Lindsay Quartet), Luc-Marie Aguera (Quatuor Ysaÿe) and Stefan Metz. Many well-known contemporary classical composers, such as Kaija Saariaho, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Calliope Tsoupaki and Max Knigge have worked with the quartet on their music and, in 2014, the quartet signed for several recordings with Resonus Classics.
The quartet has performed with many renowned guest musicians such as Pieter Wispelwey, Dmitri Ferschtman, Quirine Viersen, Hannes Minnaar and Mikhail Zemtsov. The quartet have performed at many prestigious festivals, such as the Gergiev Festival, the Grachten Festival, the Orlando Festival, Festival Quatuors à Bordeaux and Festival Jeunes Talents (France), the Linari Classic Festival (Italy), the Léon Chamber Music Festival (Spain). In addition, they have given concerts at every main concert hall in the Netherlands and in venues in France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Cyprus.
Highlights of the 2015/2016 season include the quartet’s performances in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Konzerthaus in Vienna, as well as the première of Kaaija Saariaho’s new opera at the Dutch National Opera, with Philippe Jaroussky. Willem Marinus Dudok (1884-1974) was a famous Dutch architect. He was also a great lover of music: he came from a musical family and composed music in his spare time. ‘I owe more to composers than I owe to any architect’, he wrote. ‘I feel deeply the common core of music and architecture: after all, they both derive their value from the right proportions.’
Judith van Driel violin 1
Marleen Wester violin 2
Mark Mulder viola
David Faber 'cello