{"id":111668,"date":"2025-02-11T14:40:47","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T19:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=111668"},"modified":"2025-02-13T15:55:30","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T20:55:30","slug":"interview-violinist-edward-dusinberre-talks-takacs-quartet-50th-season-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/02\/11\/interview-violinist-edward-dusinberre-talks-takacs-quartet-50th-season-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Violinist Edward Dusinberre Talks About The Tak\u00e1cs Quartet 50th Season Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
The Tak\u00e1cs Quartet (Photo: Amanda Tipton)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Tak\u00e1cs Quartet is in the midst of a winter to spring tour in celebration of the ensemble\u2019s 50th anniversary season. It\u2019s an incredible milestone in the world of classical music. The tour\u2019s Toronto concert takes place February 21 at Koerner Hall.<\/p>\n

The Grammy Award-winning Quartet also has a new recording that releases on March 28 on the Hyperion label featuring Canadian pianist Marc Andr\u00e9 Hamelin: Dvorak and Price Quintets. Marc Andr\u00e9 Hamelin is a frequent collaborator, as is Stephen Hough, who joins them on two of their tour dates.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Denk will perform in Napa and Berkeley, while Sir Stephen Hough takes the stage in Toronto and Princeton. Hough\u2019s first string quartet, Les Six rencontres, which he wrote for the Quartet in 2020, is part of the repertoire.<\/p>\n

The Tak\u00e1cs Quartet are: violinists Edward Dusinberre and Harumi Rhodes, violist Richard O\u2019Neill and cellist Andr\u00e1s Fej\u00e9r.<\/p>\n

We spoke to Edward Dusinberre about the quartet and the tour.<\/p>\n

Edward Dusinberre: The Interview<\/h2>\n

\u201cThis is my 32nd year in the group,\u201d begins Dusinberre. \u201cI joined when I was 24.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he joined the Quartet, he was the first \u201cnew\u201d member to join after the founders, Gabor Tak\u00e1cs-Nagy, K\u00e1roly Schranz, Gabor Ormai and Andr\u00e1s Fej\u00e9r, creating it in 1970 during their student days. He puts their longevity down to a willingness on the part of all its members to adapt. \u201cYou have to embrace that change,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, we’ve also been very lucky,\u201d he adds, noting the calibre of the members who\u2019ve joined the quartet since then.<\/p>\n

On top of being able go with the flow, it\u2019s also a social affair. \u201cThere’s a lot of personal skills that help.\u201d The simple mantra of being nice goes a long way.<\/p>\n

On the work side, clear communication is a big part of the package. \u201cYou have to be able to lead and express ideas clearly, but equally able to follow,\u201d Edward says. Flexibility is another key component. \u201cIt’s a personal skill set.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he points out, if the work process is efficient, the sound can be the main focus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I love about the work, which is also challenging, is to be individuals,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t generally work well to do things by majority in a string quartet.\u201d It\u2019s about working towards a majority.<\/p>\n

With the right atmosphere, working together can still have a spontaneous, adventurous element. \u201cUnder those circumstances, it’s easier to say, can we try this tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

It also means that, on tour, they can afford to experiment now and then during live performance. Often, that depends on the venue. \u201cEach acoustic changes it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re looking forward to Koerner Hall. That’s a hall where you can play a tremendous dynamic range.\u201d Dusinberre says the Quartet enjoys the option of playing dramatic contrasts, knowing they\u2019ll project properly into the space \u2014 and into the audience\u2019s ears.<\/p>\n