For over 250 years, the most beautiful and thrilling music has been written for this specific combination of two violins, viola and cello. Every two years, the String Quartet Biennale puts the string quartet in the centre of world wide attention in the Amsterdam Muziekgebouw. With over sixty events — concerts and a lively fringe programme of lectures, talks and masterclasses — and thirty string qu
artets from all over the world, you can immerse yourself completely in string quartet from early morning until late at night. Join us on our journey of tradition and experiment; to the familiar and the unknown. In 2018, the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam became reality. Nowhere in the world such a large and international festival for string quartet existed. With over sixty concerts, a diverse fringe programme and a mission to share, celebrate and renew string quartet in all its richness and beauty. In just two editions the festival grew into something that was unimaginable when we first started. With over 14.000 visitors, the festival became an international meeting hub where we can fully immerse ourselves in string quartet once every two years. Seasoned string quartet enthusiasts, eager and curious listeners who want to discover the genre and the musicians themselves: together we celebrate and discover that which makes string quartet so special: limitless possibilities, perfection and intimacy. Bringing together so many people from all over the world, all those cultures and generations, allows for an unprecedented exchange — there’s room not only for the renowned household names, but for a young and exciting generation as well; not only for the known repertoire but for experiment as well. Not only during the festival, but also during the two years in between, the String Quartet Biennale is actively involved in spreading the genre of string quartet. Among other things, we work together with the Leerorkest and language schools to bring string quartet to those places where it wouldn’t naturally find its way. In 2020 the succes of the festival was repeated and now the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam is a fixed event on the worldwide cultural calendar, to which we can look forward and dream about.
