Quartet announce new music concert series

The Solem Quartet present Beethoven Bartók Now: an ambitious six-part series of concerts, bringing together the late quartets of Beethoven and the quartets of Béla Bartók, uniquely reimagined with music from composers of today.

Beethoven Bartók Now will also see a wealth of digital content and educational activity, providing a rich resource for a network of composers and an access point for new audiences.

Across six concerts beginning in December 2020, to mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, the Solem Quartet will perform the six late quartets of Beethoven with the six quartets of Bartók, alongside commissioned works from living composers.

Beethoven Bartók Now will see the quartet collaborate with leading composers of today – Aaron Parker, Jasmin Kent Rodgman, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Edmund Finnis, Bushra El-Turk, and the winner of a Call for Scores competition –  to perform commissioned new works and present the historic music of Beethoven and Bartók in a new light.

Each of these six events will be paired with wraparound digital content, Writing for Quartet and Unpacking BBN, which will provide new insight into the music.

Beethoven Bartók Now will take place from December 2020 to March 2023 nationwide. Find out more about the series here, and our preview of the opening performance on 17 December here.