Precise, minimalist sound that turns places into spaces: in the 20 years of its existence, the Konus Quartet has specialised in the latest contemporary and experimental music. In visionary curated, intensive collaborations with contemporary composers, the ensemble is committed to the creation and performance of new works.
To this end, the Konus Quartet regularly commissions compositions, including pieces by Chiyoko Szlavnics, Jürg Frey, Barry Guy, Makiko Nishikaze, Phill Niblock, Urs Peter Schneider, Martin Brandlmayr, Klaus Lang, Tomas Korber and Sam Pluta, which have been developed and interpreted in dialogue.
In 2021, the Konus Quartet premiered the piece ‘Continuité, fragilité, résonance’ by Jürg Frey, together with the string quartet Quatour Bozzini.
The modular instrumentation results in the surprising manoeuvrability and idiosyncratic expressiveness of the quartet. The consistent focus of the programmes on the present day makes the ensemble one of the most important voices in contemporary music, far beyond Switzerland and Europe. The quartet has performed at the Cafe OTO in London, the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and the FIMAV (Festival International Musique Actuelle Victoriaville) in Canada, among others, and has released numerous recordings.
Recently released recordings: ‘Anschlussfehler’ (composition: Tomas Korber) and ‘drei allmenden’ (composition: Klaus Lang) on Cubus Records.
