Long established as one of the finest Czech string quartets, it is a pleasure to welcome the Martinů Quartet from Prague. Award winners at many international festivals and for their numerous recordings, the quartet instinctively conveys its deep affinity with the music of Martinů and Dvořák. Their performances of Dvořák’s much-loved quartet No 13 and Martinů’s 5th quartet will be enthralling.

Originally founded in 1976 as the Havlák Quartet, with the approval of The Bohuslav Martinů Foundation in 1985 the quartet assumed its present name, pledging to promote Martinů’s chamber music. The quartet specialises in the works of Czech composers such as Smetana, Dvořák and Janáček and especially that of Bohuslav Martinů. They perform regularly at the Prague Spring Festival as well as giving concerts in many European Countries, the United States, Canada and Japan, and have taken part in numerous international chamber music competitions, winning awards at them all. The quartet also teaches chamber music performance at chamber music workshops in the Czech Republic, which are open to both amateur and professional musicians.

Lubomír Havlák and Adéla Štajnochrová (violins), Martin Stupka (viola), Jitka Vlašánková (‘cello).