The Iturriaga Quartet was formed at the Leipzig Music Conservatory “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” in Germany in 1996. The name “Iturriaga” means “water fountain” in Basque and was inspired by the surname of the Iturriagagoitia siblings, who grew up in the Basque region of Spain.

In more than ten years of its existence, the quartet has successfully made its own way both on a national and international level. Critics testify the distinct personality, technical brilliance and highest musical rapport. Reviews praise the genuine spontaneity, a refreshing individual approach and great musical energy.

Both the long-standing work with Hatto Beyerle and affiliation with the European Chamber Music Academy ECMA have been crucial to the quartet’s artistic development. The ECMA has enabled the four to study with musicians such as Norbert Brainin, Peter Cropper, Johannes Meissl and Christoph Richter. Equally important has been the influence of Kolja Lessing, especially in 20th century chamber music.

Having performed at major concert halls and at very important European festivals, as well as touring Korea in 2003 and South America in 2006, the ensemble has an expansive range of performance experience. To name a few of their great career highlights; the MDR Musiksommer, Konzerthaus Berlin, Brussels’ Palais des Beaux-Arts, the Finnish Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, the Palau de la Música at Barcelona and the Royal Palace at Madrid, where the Iturriaga Quartet played the King of Spain’s set of Strads.

Apart from a broad standard classic-romantic repertoire, the quartet also dedicates its efforts to 20th century chamber music, especially to works of composers persecuted by the Nazis, such as Berthold Goldschmidt and Ignace Strasfogel. While the quartet also loves to venture into non-European musical spheres, its heart is in Spanish music. Consequently, the ensemble celebrated Mozart’s 250th anniversary by commemorating the 200th birthday of Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga, the “Spanish Mozart”.

The Iturriaga Quartet has worked with artists such as Heinz Holliger, Rodolfo Mederos, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Hartmut Rohde, Pepe Romero, Peter Sadlo and Martin Spangenberg, and have found a long lasting stimulus in their close co-operation with composers such as Abel Ehrlich and Klaus Stahmer. The quartet records regularly with German broadcasting corporations and in 2004 released its CD “Horizonte” with contemporary music from Germany, Israel, Mexico, Korea and South Africa, in collaboration with radio stations MDR Kultur and Deutschlandfunk. A new CD with chamber music by Felix Mendelssohn is to be released in fall 2008.

In 2000 the Iturriaga Quartet was awarded first prize in the European Broadcasting Union’s Competition. The ensemble has also been added to the artists’ list of the German Musicians’ Union (Deutscher Musikrat).