The Quartet has recorded over 200 works, 70 of them with Evans, Boico, and Laufer. Their latest releases on Naxos include: three Beethoven String Quintets (8.572221); the Franck String Quartet and Piano Quintet (8.572009); Fauré Piano Quintets with Cristina Ortiz (8.570938); complete Bruckner chamber music (8.570788); complete Mendelssohn String Quintets (8.570488); “Four American Quartets” by Antheil, Herrmann, Glass, Evans (8.559354); complete Schumann String Quartets (8.570151); and the Glazunov String Quintet and Novelettes (8.570256). Naxos releases planned for 2010 include the two Saint-Saëns String Quartets (8.572454).
The Quartet’s recent recordings have received many distinctions. Their Glazunov, Mendelssohn, and Fauré CD’s were each named a “Recording of the Year” by MusicWeb International in 2007, 2008, 2009, respectively. The Quartet’s Fauré CD with pianist Cristina Ortiz was among the recordings for which musical producer Steven Epstein won a 2009 Grammy® Award (“Producer of the Year, Classical”). In addition, their “Four American Quartets” album was designated a “BBC Music Magazine Choice” in 2008, their Schumann CD was called “one of the very finest chamber music recordings of the year” by the American Record Guide in 2007, and their complete Mozart Quintets SACD box set on Lyrinx was named a “Critic’s Choice 2003” by the American Record Guide.
Special recognition was given for the Quartet’s commitment to contemporary music: a 2003–2004 national CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming, given jointly by Chamber Music America and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.
For more information on the Fine Arts Quartet, including a complete discography, please visit: www.fineartsquartet.org.
See Naxos interview with Ralph Evans of Fine Arts Quartet.
Members of the Fine Arts Quartet (leftright):
Ralph Evans (violin I), Efim Boico (violin II), Wolfgang Laufer (cello), Nicolò Eugelmi (viola)
Photo: Angelo Tortorella (with modification by Vivian Li)
Photo courtesy of Angelo Tortorella
