Artemis Quartet Essentials

The members of this beloved German string quartet met as students in Lübeck and started the ensemble in 1989, the year the wall came down in Berlin (where they later settled). Classics like Brahms and the quartets of Beethoven remain a hallmark of their repertoire and showcase the group's distinctive flourishes nestled within a meticulously balanced sound. But Artemis brings equal finesse and musical dexterity to unexpected gems of the 20th century, whether diving into a piano quintet by Argentine tango nuevo pioneer Astor Piazzolla or exploring the texturally focused second string quartet of György Ligeti.