The Debussy Quartet
Christophe Collette &
Dorian Lamotte, violins
Vincent Deprecq, viola
Alain Brunier, cello

"The result was a total success. The public acclaims and the critics applaud. The Debussy Quartet plays with a grand heart." Le Figaro

"...a luminous performance..."
The Washington Post

"The Debussy Quartet was as impressionistic as a Corot painting: voices stood out clearly against a misty, swirling background in warm, subdued colors. These players handle this music as naturally as their native tongue, without stress or strain; the accents were pungent but mild, the very sound projected a languid, peaceful dreaminess."
Strings Magazine

"Here is a sensitive ensemble, with a rich breath, a full sonority whose freshness allows a true emotion to come through, allied to a warm intensity and an expressive vision of the thoughts at the interior of the music."
Le Monde de la Musique

"Since standing ovations are usually reserved for the end of concerts, the audience seemed almost pained to contain its appreciation for the delicate, inspired reading of Mozart's C major Quartet"
Worcester Telegram

"Of the Debussy, the program's best, the dance-like second movement stood out most. Beautifully controlled and coordinated, rich and refined, it was like enjoying a secret indulgence. After pin-drop stillness in the hymn-like third movement, the performance ended in a series of sparkling, fast pirouettes."
Palm Beach Post

Debussy Quartet's Website

The Debussy Quartet are renowned internationally for their beautiful performances and fine recordings. While maintaining a demanding schedule of performing and recording, they teach and run a the festival La Ballade en Cordes. Winners of the Evian International Quartet Competition and the Victoire de la Musique they are fulfilling a ten year recording contract for the Arion label.

"It is a smoothly integrated ensemble with excellent intonation. Collette is a decisive leader with an appealing tonal palette." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Debussy Quartet's international performance schedule has included several North American tours featuring many return engagements (Detroit, St. Louis, Washington, DC, St. Petersburg, among them). Recent appearances in the U.S. have included appearances in New York (at the 92nd Street "Y" series), Palm Beach, Eugene, San Diego, St. Louis, Austin, Houston, Detroit, and many other communities from coast to coast.

For the 2009/2010 season, the quartet's programming options for North American tour includes works by French composers (Bizet, Milhaud, Lalo, Debussy and Ravel) as well as works of Haydn, Beethoven, Grieg, and the phenomenal 19th century arrangement of the Mozart Requiem. The quartet will also tour a special program with an opera theme, including works by Puccini and Verdi.

The award-winning Canadian pianist Katherine Chi will tour with the quartet, offering the major piano quintets, including the Brahms, Dvorak and Shostakovich, as well as works of Fauré and Saint-Saëns. Ms. Chi and the quartet will bring to the stage the exciting Piano Concertos of Mozart, #11 in F Major, K. 413 and #12 in A Major, K. 414 from Mozart's own arrangements.

For complete program information, click here.

First heard in the United States at Texas' famed Round Top Festival, their appearance on nationwide radio (NPR's "Performance Today") showcased their Round Top performance of Beethoven's Quartet # 11, opus 95 (the "Serioso").

Their concerts are all about the emotions and thrills generated by technically exciting, musically thoughtful and stylistically aristocratic performances. Acclaim from audiences and the press has been unanimous: "...a luminous performance...testimony to both the plausibility of the ideas and the virtuosity of this group of young French musicians who can project both abandon and control at the same time." The Washington Post

Their repertoire includes much of the major string quartet literature and beyond, including the quartets of Ravel and Debussy, works of Schubert, Mozart, Brahms, Bartok, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Janacek, Turina, Arriaga, Amy, Webern, Onslow, Franck, Milhuad and more.

In 1999, The Debussy Quartet enjoyed the inaugural summer season of the Academie de Musique de Chambre. This festival, founded by The Debussy Quartet, is located in picturesque Bourg Saint Andeol, south of Lyon, France and is now held annually. The Academy of Chamber Music is structured as a teaching festival, and plays host to 28 students through aged 25, formed into seven quartets. In addition to their own concerts in the historic Abbatiale church in nearby Cruas, the Quartet coaches the student quartets, and they in turn performed over a 10-day period of the July Academy.

About their recordings for the Arion label: to follow their award-winning Harmonia Mundi releases, the first Arion project covers the complete Shostakovich Quartets and works of late romantic French composer Ermend Bonnal. Just released are the Brahms and Weber clarinet quintets with clarinetist Jean Francois Verdier, soloist of The Paris Opera.

The Debussy Quartet is the winner of the Grand Prize at the 1993 Evian International String Quartet Competition and chosen as the "Best Chamber Music Ensemble" 1996 Victoires de la Musique. Their recent recordings have also been award winners, including the honor of the coveted "Choc" award of Le Monde de la Musique for their Webern CD on Harmonia Mundi. The members of the quartet are violinists Christophe Collette and Anne Menier, violist Vincent Deprecq and cellist Alain Brunier. They have performed with many noted artists, including such distinguished pianists as James Dick, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet and Noel Lee. Among their other chamber music partners are such luminaries as flutist Philippe Bernold, clarinetist Michel LeThiec and harpist Marielle Nordman.