Artemis Quartet Announces New First Violinist

One of our favorite European string quartets–the Berlin-based Artemis Quartet–has announced a change of personnel, effective at the start of the 2012—13 season.

Leaving the group is first violinist Natalia Prishepenko, who plans to focus on other musical activities and her family after 18 years with the Artemis. Her replacement is Vineta Sareika, a Latvian violinist who was a prize winner at the 2009 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. She joins existing members Gregor Sigl (second violin), Friedemann Weigle (viola) and Eckart Runge (cello).

Founded in 1989, the Artemis Quartet performed its first concert in its new line-up on September 9, 2012 at Wigmore Hall in London. Writing in The Financial Times, critic Andrew Clark hailed the group's "freshness" as well as its "wondrous majesty" and "intensity of attack" in a program juxtaposing Mendelssohn quartets and Beethoven's Grosse fuge (click here for the complete review).

We're certainly eager to hear this magnificent quartet in its new incarnation when they return to PCMS on Friday, March 8, 2013 for a program of quartets by Schubert, Ginastera and Mendelssohn. For tickets and information, visit the concert page or call the PCMS Box Office at 215-569-8080.