Ida Derbesse, violin
Elena Watson–Perry, violin
Claire Pass-Lanneau, viola
Fiona Robson, cello
Described as ‘a model of technical rigour, elegance and musical excellence’ (Emmanuelle Giuliani for La Croix, 2024), the Magenta Quartet was formed in 2021 and has since performed on the most prestigious stages in France, from the Philharmonie de Paris to the Radio France Festival.
‘Remarkable for its balance, suppleness and spontaneity’ (Anne Ibos-Augé, Diapason), the Quartet made a name for itself in 2022 in the finals of the Haydn Competition in Vienna and at the Zukunftsklang Competition in Stuttgart, where it won 3rd prize, and then at the FNAPEC competition in 2023, where it was awarded a scholarship from the Académie des Beaux-Arts.
The Quatuor Magenta took off in November 2024 for its first tour across the Atlantic in Canada, with the support of the CNM and SPEDIDAM. Its 24-25 season is also punctuated by numerous dates in octet with the Van Kuijk Quartet, as part of La Belle Saison.
Since its formation, it has been invited to perform at numerous festivals throughout France (Musikfest Parisienne, La Chaise-Dieu, Un Temps pour Elles, La Roque d’Anthéron, Les Instants de Grasse, Un Été en France with Gautier Capuçon, and the Vibre ! festival), as well as in Switzerland (Collégiale de Neuchâtel) and Germany (Klangraum Konzerte in Cologne). He took part in the recording of flutist Julien Beaudiment’s California Dreamin’, released in 2023.
Last season saw the quartet take part in the Kronos Quartet’s ‘50 for the Future’ marathon at the Biennale des Quatuors de la Philharmonie de Paris, recording Olivier Korber’s quartet and programming one by Yves Balmer. The four musicians of the Quatuor Magenta are also keen to incorporate the music of female composers into their repertoire.
Residents at ProQuartet – Centre Européen de Musique de Chambre and the Fondation Singer-Polignac, they were chosen in 2023 by the Quatuor Modigliani to join the first class of the Elite programme at the Ecole Normale de Paris. They receive guidance from the Quatuor Ébène at the Munich Hochschule and from Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet) in Basel.
The Quatuor Magenta receives support from the Fondation Safran and ADAMI. It is produced by Chapeau l’Artiste Production.
