Elbphilharmonie Innerview: vision string quartet

Inwards – in the »Elbphilharmonie Innerviews«, artists explore the Elbphilharmonie in their own unique ways, letting their thoughts run free. The result: special insights into the spaces of the concert hall and a rare opportunity to get to know the artists personally beyond the stage.

»Just as the glass facade was built on top of an old port warehouse at the Elbphilharmonie, we too are seeking to build a bridge between tradition and modernity.« With that artistic concept, the Vision String Quartet turned the classical concert world on its head in 2012. In this Innerview, the four exceptional musicians talk about their self-concept as a string quartet, about their vision of the future and about the important role culture plays in society.

The Elbphilharmonie’s »Innerviews« series is supported by our Principal Sponsor Julius Bär.

»We were very clear from the beginning that we wanted to bring a fresh approach to the traditional genre of the string quartet,« explain the members of the multi-award-winning Vision String Quartet. That also involves responding to an increasingly diverse audience. For the four young artists, culture is in constant flux: »Our interest in a vibrant and dynamic concert landscape is directed both towards the present and the future.«

A word about the Elbphilharmonie? »We see ourselves as part of this change and regard the Elbphilharmonie as playing a vital role when it comes to the transformation of the music landscape.« – What a lovely compliment!

»An inspiring combination of light-heartedness and skill,« exults a critic on SWR, while »Der Tagesspiegel« applauds »a kind of airiness that can’t be taught«. A few years ago, the Vision String Quartet conquered the concert stages of the world like an unstoppable force, and it has been one of the most in-demand and exciting ensembles of the chamber music scene ever since. The four young musicians combine works from the classic string quartet repertoire with their own compositions and arrangements from the fields of jazz, pop and rock.

Their concert formats are also varied and often unusual: the string quartet, which also sees itself as a band, feels equally at home on classical concert stages as in installations with video and light design in Berlin’s Radialsystem, in thrilling concerts in complete darkness, and in ballet productions by the Hamburg star choreographer John Neumeier.