Navarra Quartet

Fellowship Winner 2007

Xander van Vliet violin
Marije Ploemacher violin
Simone van der Giessen viola
Nathaniel Boyd cello

First prize winners of the 2005 Florence International Chamber Music Competition and second prize winners of the 2007 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, the Navarra Quartet is widely recognized as one of the outstanding quartets of their generation. Formed in 2002 at the Royal Northern College of Music under the guidance of the late Dr Christopher Rowland, they are currently Junior Fellows at the RNCM, having been students of the Alban Berg Quartet in Cologne. In January 2008 the Quartet received the ‘Outstanding Young Artist Award' at the MIDEM Classique Awards in Cannes, in partnership with the International Artist Managers' Association. They have won numerous prizes and awards and in 2006 were selected for representation by YCAT and received Tunnell Trust, Tillett Trust and Musicians Benevolent Fund Awards. They have taken part in the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove and in 2008 return as resident quartet to the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh. Future plans include their debut at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, a BBC Radio 3 Beethoven Plus concert at LSO St. Lukes, an Arts Council Around the Country tour with the Sacconi Quartet (Mendelssohn Octet) and concerts in Germany (Rheingau Festival), Austria, Italy, France, Africa, Sweden, The Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. They also continue their strong association with the Wigmore Hall with several future performances including at the Haydn Festival in 2009. During 2008 the Quartet work with Wayne MacGregor's Random Dance Company on a new piece called Entity choreographed to a Quartet by Nico Muhly giving a series of performances at Sadler's Wells and in Aldeburgh and Amsterdam. In summer 2008 they will be Quartet in Residence at the Verbier Festival.

Photograph taken by Sussie Ahlburg