FOLLOWING Martin Saving into Upper Chapel on Wednesday evening is the much-acclaimed young Badke Quartet with a new viola player of exceptional ability it would seem, Eniko Magyar.
With a name like that, she has to be Hungarian and is, as well as being hailed as the most promising viola player to have emerged from Hungary in recent years.
The Badke's cellist, Jonathan Byers, the only male member of the quartet now, is quoted
as describing her as "phenomenal" and "an exceptional player".
Of course, he could be biased, but snippets of information from other sources strongly suggest not.
The Badke was formed in 2002 by Royal Academy of Music graduates to which, Eniko who replaced Matthew Jones in September, also seems to have connections.
For the last rwo years they have been travelling to Cologne once a month for intensive study periods at masterclasses with the celebrated Alban Berg Quartet.
Last year, 2007, could be called their breakthrough year, spectacularly winning first prize and the audience prize in the Fifth Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
They made their Wigmore Hall debut later in the year when The Strad, the UK's authoritative magazine on all things string-instrument-related, was waxing lyrical about the quartet: "Countless felicitous details testified to the group's excellent preparation and unquestionable qualities."
The quartet takes its name from its leader Heather Badke from Boise, Idaho, who completed a BMus degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, before crossing the Atlantic in 2002.
Emma Parker, the quartet's second violin, like Heather, freelances with UK orchestras, specialises in period unstrument performance and is a much-in demand session musician, backing some very famous pop artists.
Jonathan Byers, the Badke's Belfast-born cellist, has also worked with many British orchestras and period instrument groups and given solo recitals in Belfast, Malta and, last year, Washington DC.
At their Music in the Round concert on Wednesday, the Badke will be playing string quartets by Mozart (K421), Bartók (No 2) and Debussy.
Next Friday sees another Music in the Round concert of more than passing interest, Bones Apart: four trombones playing music from Mendelssohn to Duke Ellington inspired by Shakespeare.
MORE:
Listings Guide
Arts GuideFilm GuideTheatre and EventsMusic GuideFront RoomThe full article contains 386 words and appears in Sheffield Telegraph newspaper.
