No.she064May 14, 2026

Suntory Hall Chamber Music Garden 2026
Quatuor Ébène performs
Beethoven’s String Quartet Cycle

Suntory Hall presents “Quatuor Ébène – Beethoven Cycle I – VI” as part of its annual early summer festival, Suntory Hall Chamber Music Garden (June 5 – 20 2026). The celebrated Quatuor Ébène will perform the complete cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets over six concerts (June 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16) in the intimate space of the Blue Rose (Small Hall).

Performing Beethoven’s string quartet cycle in a single intensive period is an established feature of Suntory Hall Chamber Music Garden (CMG), and it is considered a unique event internationally. Since CMG’s inception in 2011, thirteen renowned string quartets from around the world have delivered memorable performances, including the Kuss Quartet, the Jerusalem Quartet, and the Elias String Quartet. This year we are delighted to invite the Quatuor Ébène (Pierre Colombet, Gabriel Le Magadure, Marie Chilemme, Yuya Okamoto). It is the quartet’s first appearance at the CMG.

Quatuor Ébène was founded in 1999 in France, and the group first came to international attention in 2004 when it won first prize in the string quartet category at the ARD International Music Competition in Munich. They have since won numerous prizes and awards including the Belmont Prize of the Forberg-Schneider Foundation, the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, and the Frankfurt Music Prize.

The group is recognized for the way breathe new life into chamber music through their consistently direct, open-minded perspective on the works, and their performances have been enthusiastically received by audiences and critics alike.

Between May 2019 and January 2020, Quatuor Ébène embarked on the unprecedented “Beethoven Around the World” project, performing and recording Beethoven’s 16 String Quartets in North America, South America, Africa, India, Australia & New Zealand, Asia and Europe. They have also given performances of the complete cycle in Paris and Frankfurt, and it has just begun new cycles in Berlin and Rome.

Their complete Beethoven cycle at the CMG, also marking Suntory Hall’s 40th anniversary, will be performed in its current formation with Japanese cellist Yuya Okamoto. It is an unmissable chance to catch the group at the height of its career.

Details of Quatuor Ébène’s Beethoven String Quartet cycle can be found at the following:
https://www.suntory.com/culture-sports/suntoryhall/articles/detail/138647.html

For further information and press photos, please contact:
suntoryhall-pr@suntory.co.jp
Public Relations, Suntory Hall

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