»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. Since the ensemble’s founding in 1993 and subsequent 1995 debut, the four Israeli musicians have embarked on a journey of growth and maturation. Their breadth of repertoire and stunning depth of expression have firmly established their unique place in the string quartet tradition. The ensemble has found its core in a warm, full, human sound and an egalitarian balance between high and low voices. This approach allows the quartet to maintain a healthy relationship between individual expression and a transparent and respectful presentation of the composer’s work. It is also the drive and motivation for their continuing refinement of its interpretations of the classical repertoire as well as exploration of new epochs.

The Jerusalem Quartet is a regular and beloved guest on the world’s great concert stages. The 2024/25 season marks the Quartet’s 30th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, the Quartet puts a spotlight on the cycle of Shostakovich’s 15 quartets, which they present in 10 cities worldwide including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Beethovenfest Bonn, Cleveland, Philharmonie Cologne, Portland, Wigmore Hall London, St. Paul, São Paulo, Vevey and Tonhalle Zurich.

The Jerusalem Quartet’s numerous recordings have garnered many awards and accolades including the Diapason d’Or and the BBC Music Magazine Award for chamber music. After releasing 16 albums for the Harmonia Mundi label starting in 2005, the quartet now records exclusively for the BIS label. The inaugural release for BIS includes Shostakovich quartets Nos. 2, 7, and 10. Previous releases for Harmonia Mundi include a unique album exploring Jewish music in Central Europe between the wars including a collection of Yiddish Cabaret songs from Warsaw in the 1920s, featuring Israeli Soprano Hila Baggio. In 2020, the Jerusalem Quartet released the second (and last) album of their complete Bartók cycle.