The Pavel Haas Quartet returns to SF Performances on the eve of its 20th year as one of the world's leading chamber groups. "Their sound is, as ever, immediately recognizable-partly due to the sheer richness of timbre but also the sense of four personalities at play...At times it is hard to believe you are in the presence of only four players, so intense is the sound" (Gramophone).
The Pavel Haas Quartet was founded in 2002 by the violinist Veronika Jaruskova and the violist Pavel Nikl, who was a member of the ensemble until 2016, when he left due to family reasons. Yet their collaboration has continued-Pavel Nikl has been the ensemble's permanent guest for string quintet performances. Between 2004 and 2012, the second violin was played by Katerina Gemrotova Penkova, Marie Fuxova and Eva Karova Krestova. In 2016 and 2017, the viola was played by Radim Sedmidubsky, in 2018 and 2019 by Jiri Kabat.
Following their victory in the Prague Spring Festival Competition and Premio Paolo Borciani in Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2005, the Pavel Haas Quartet soon established themselves as one of the world's most exciting contemporary chamber ensembles. Performing at the most renowned concert venues around the globe, the PHQ have to date recorded eight critically acclaimed CDs, which have received numerous prestigious awards.