The Casals Quartet returns to the Principal Theatre in Alicante on November 25 at 8 p.m., as part of the Alicante Concert Society season. The ensemble, formed by violinists Vera Martínez-Mehner and Abel Tomàs, violist Cristina Cordero, and cellist Arnau Tomàs, will present a carefully curated program featuring works by Haydn, Beethoven, and Shostakovich.
Founded in 1997 at the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid, the Casals Quartet has built an international career filled with notable achievements, including First Prize at the London International Competition in 2000 and at the Brahms-Hamburg Competition in 2002. Over the years, the ensemble has been invited to perform in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, such as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Philharmonie in Paris, the Konzerthaus and Musikverein in Vienna, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, among others.
To mark its 25th anniversary, the quartet released a highly acclaimed recording of Bach’s The Art of the Fugue and is currently working on the complete cycle of Dmitri Shostakovich’s fifteen string quartets, a monumental project that remains a cornerstone of their repertoire.
A repertoire that spans centuries of music
Throughout its career, the Casals Quartet has built an outstanding discography under Harmonia Mundi, ranging from lesser known Spanish composers such as Arriaga and Toldrá to Viennese classics including Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms. Their catalog also covers twentieth-century voices, with Debussy, Ravel, Zemlinsky, Bartók, and Ligeti, and they have produced a celebrated Blu-ray edition of Schubert’s complete quartets.
A bold, collaborative approach to Baroque and contemporary music
The quartet’s innovative approach is evident in its work with period bows, enabling them to interpret pieces from Purcell to Schubert while adapting to varying stylistic currents. The ensemble has collaborated with living composers, premiering works by Francisco Coll, Mauricio Sotelo, and Benet Casablancas, and has performed John Adams’s Absolute Jest with several orchestras. In 2025, they will give their global debut with Fiery Earth, a piece by Elisenda Fábregas, at the Palau de la Música Catalana.
Awards and recognitions
Over the years, the Casals Quartet has earned numerous honors, including the National Music Award in 2006, the Premi Nacional de Cultura de Catalunya in 2016, and the Premi Ciutat de Barcelona in 2005. In 2024, it was awarded the Medal of Honor from the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid. Their contribution to culture has also been recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya, which named them ambassadors of culture.
Beyond performance, the Casals Quartet shares knowledge through masterclasses and educational programs, serving as quartet-in-residence at such institutions as the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, and the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya. They presently reside in Barcelona, continuing to advance their international career.