Cristiano Gualco violin
Simone Gramaglia viola
Paolo Andreoli violin
Giovanni Scaglione cello
Musicians who promote and encourage chamber music in Italy and throughout the world.
I very much admire Quartetto di Cremona and all they do.
Ilaria Borletti Buitoni (BBT President)| March 2019
Ein Wunder! (A wonder!)
Der neue Merker | July 2019
An unexpected emphasis here, an unusual moment of phrasing there: the Cremona Quartet are unpredictable, but never mannered in these Schubert chamber masterpieces. They capture the profound beauty of both works.
BBC Music Magazine | July 2019
Indeed, in Beethoven cycle, the Quartetto di Cremona presents itself
as an eminent ambassador of the Italian Quartet Culture and, at the same time,
confirms its position as an ensemble of international excellence.
Fono Forum | January 2018
Since its formation in 2000, the Quartetto di Cremona has established a reputation as one of the most exciting chamber ensembles on the international stage. Regularly invited to perform in major music festivals in Europe, North and South America, and Far East, they garner universal acclaim for their high level of interpretive artistry.
“BBT Fellowship” prize winner in 2005, the Quartetto di Cremona received by the Borletti Buitoni Trust also the “Franco Buitoni Award” (2019 edition) for its constant contribution to the promotion of chamber music in Italy and around the world.
In 2020 the Quartetto di Cremona celebrates its first twenty years of career, an important milestone for an Italian ensemble. For the occasion, distinguished concerts and recording projects will be developed over consecutive seasons: several performances of the complete Beethoven quartets’ cycle, CD releases, a tour with Bach’s “The Art of the Fugue”, new music expressly composed for the Quartet. Further 2020/21 season’s highlights include concerts in Geneva, Istanbul, Milan, Rome, London (Wigmore Hall) and the debuts at the Carnegie Hall in New York and at the Rudolfinum in Prague. Numerous are the collaborations with artists of the level of Angela Hewitt, Eckart Runge, David Orlowsky, Emerson Quartet.
Noteworthy recent recording projects include a double CD dedicated to Schubert and featuring cellist Eckart Runge. The album was recorded with the Stradivarius set of instruments named “Paganini Quartet”, on kind loan from the Nippon Music Foundation (Tokyo), and attracted high levels of acclaim in the international press. Same goes for the Beethoven’s string quartets cycle: the eight volumes won prestigious awards (including Echo Klassik 2017 and ICMA 2018) and received numerous recognitions from specialized critics. Expected in Fall 2020 the release of “Italian Postcards”, a new album including works by Wolf, Mozart, Čajkovskij and a brand-new piece by Nimrod Borenstein.
Frequently invited to present masterclasses in Europe, Asia, North and South America, since 2011 they are Professors at the “Walter Stauffer Academy” in Cremona. They are ambassadors for the international project “Friends of Stradivari” and honorary citizens of Cremona, UNESCO Cultural Heritage for violin making. They are also testimonials for “Le Dimore del Quartetto” project and Thomastik Infield Strings.
Cristiano Gualco
violin Nicola Amati, Cremona 1640
Paolo Andreoli
violin Paolo Antonio Testore, Milano ca. 1758 (Kulturfonds Peter Eckes)
Simone Gramaglia
viola Gioachino Torazzi, ca. 1680 (Kulturfonds Peter Eckes)
Giovanni Scaglione
cello Dom Nicola Amati, Bologna 1712 (Kulturfonds Peter Eckes)