KAROL
SZYMANOWSKI
QUARTET
Three decades at the forefront of international chamber music
Founded in Warsaw in 1995, the Karol Szymanowski Quartet is recognized as one of the most distinguished ensembles of its generation. From the very beginning, the quartet has been defined by its constant search for new inspiration, openness to the unexpected, and deep dedication to Polish and Eastern European music.
As part of its 30th-anniversary celebrations, the ensemble performed the world premiere of Guillaume Connesson’s Symphony of the Four Elements, commissioned by the Berner Symphonieorchester, the Warsaw Philharmonic, and the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana. The piece is dedicated to the Karol Szymanowski Quartet and to Maestro Krzysztof Urbański.
Their patron, Karol Szymanowski, has become a symbol of artistic freedom and boundless expression, and his music remains a central inspiration for the ensemble’s unique sound.
Masters
and beginnings
The quartet’s journey began in Hanover under the guidance of Hatto Beyerle (Alban Berg Quartet). Over the years, they studied with such great masters as Eberhard Feltz, Walter Levin, Bernard Greenhouse, Alfred Brendel, Seiji Ozawa, as well as members of the Amadeus, Emerson, Juilliard, and Guarneri Quartets. A particularly formative moment came with intensive masterclasses with Isaac Stern in New York, which culminated in a debut performance at Carnegie Hall.
Ambassadors of Central
and Eastern European music
The quartet’s repertoire ranges from classics – Haydn, Dvořák, Shostakovich – to 20th-century masters such as Lutosławski, Penderecki, Weinberg. KSQ has premiered numerous works written for them and gained international recognition for their interpretations of Alban Berg. An important part of their mission is to shed light on lesser-known Polish composers, including Grażyna Bacewicz, Juliusz Zarębski, Ludomir Różycki, and Władysław Żeleński – a passion reflected in their rich discography.
Awards
and recognition
Soon after, the ensemble achieved competition successes in Weimar, Hanover, Melbourne, Osaka, and Florence, and was selected for the prestigious BBC “New Generation Artists” scheme. In 2005, they received the Karol Szymanowski Foundation Award, followed in 2007 by the honor “Meritorious for Polish Culture”.
On the world’s
leading stages
The Karol Szymanowski Quartet has performed in the world’s most prestigious concert halls – from Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Musikverein in Vienna, to renowned festivals in South America, including Santiago de Chile and Bogotá. The ensemble has also toured extensively across Asia, with appearances in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Busan, and Taipei. In North America, the Quartet has performed for audiences in the United States – in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, among others – as well as in Canada, including Montreal and Vancouver.
Philosophy
and energy
Every KSQ concert is an invitation to experience energy, spontaneity, and openness to the unexpected. The ensemble masterfully bridges tradition and modernity, combining works from different eras and styles to create programs that surprise, challenge, and inspire audiences worldwide. Their performances are distinguished by an intimate and deeply moving atmosphere – a hallmark of the quartet for nearly 30 years.
History drives
the Future
Within it’s thirty years of existence, KSQ has been shaped and co-created by wonderful musicians – violinists: Marek Dumicz, Grzegorz Kotów and Andrej Bielow, and cellists: Marcin Sieniawski, Monika Leskovar and Karol Marianowski. Their contribution created the history and shaped the future of the ensemble.
Masters and beginnings
The quartet’s journey began in Hanover under the guidance of Hatto Beyerle (Alban Berg Quartet). Over the years, they studied with such great masters as Eberhard Feltz, Walter Levin, Bernard Greenhouse, Alfred Brendel, Seiji Ozawa, as well as members of the Amadeus, Emerson, Juilliard, and Guarneri Quartets. A particularly formative moment came with intensive masterclasses with Isaac Stern in New York, which culminated in a debut performance at Carnegie Hall.
Ambassadors of Central
and Eastern European music
The quartet’s repertoire ranges from classics – Haydn, Dvořák, Shostakovich – to 20th-century masters such as Lutosławski, Penderecki, Weinberg. KSQ has premiered numerous works written for them and gained international recognition for their interpretations of Alban Berg. An important part of their mission is to shed light on lesser-known Polish composers, including Grażyna Bacewicz, Juliusz Zarębski, Ludomir Różycki, and Władysław Żeleński – a passion reflected in their rich discography.
Awards
and recognition
Soon after, the ensemble achieved competition successes in Weimar, Hanover, Melbourne, Osaka, and Florence, and was selected for the prestigious BBC “New Generation Artists” scheme. In 2005, they received the Karol Szymanowski Foundation Award, followed in 2007 by the honor “Meritorious for Polish Culture”.
On the world’s
leading stages
The Karol Szymanowski Quartet has performed in the world’s most prestigious concert halls – from Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Musikverein in Vienna, to renowned festivals in South America, including Santiago de Chile and Bogotá. The ensemble has also toured extensively across Asia, with appearances in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Busan, and Taipei. In North America, the Quartet has performed for audiences in the United States – in San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, among others – as well as in Canada, including Montreal and Vancouver.
Philosophy
and energy
Every KSQ concert is an invitation to experience energy, spontaneity, and openness to the unexpected. The ensemble masterfully bridges tradition and modernity, combining works from different eras and styles to create programs that surprise, challenge, and inspire audiences worldwide. Their performances are distinguished by an intimate and deeply moving atmosphere – a hallmark of the quartet for nearly 30 years.
History drives
the Future
Within it’s thirty years of existence, KSQ has been shaped and co-created by wonderful musicians – violinists: Marek Dumicz, Grzegorz Kotów and Andrej Bielow, and cellists: Marcin Sieniawski, Monika Leskovar and Karol Marianowski. Their contribution created the history and shaped the future of the ensemble.