The Hermes Quartet, named after the famous messenger from Greek mythology, draws its musical strength from its role as a bridge between the composer's text and the audience's sensibility. The musicians also establish this identity through their travels to the four corners of the globe. New York's Carnegie Hall, Beijing's Forbidden City and London's Wigmore Hall are just some of the venues that have made their mark.
The quartet is also present at major festivals such as Folles Journées in Nantes and Tokyo, the Radio-France festival in Montpellier, the Easter and Août Musical festivals in Deauville, La Roque d'Anthéron, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Mantova Chamber Music festival, le printemps des Alizés in Morocco, Wonderfeel festival...
The group's original formation was born in 2008 within the walls of Lyon's CNSMD, where they studied with members of the Ravel Quartet. They went on to learn from such luminaries as the Ysaÿe Quartet, the Artemis Quartet, Eberhard Feltz, and later Alfred Brendel, the great inspiration with whom its members still work regularly today. Open to all repertoires, they regularly share the stage with such outstanding musicians as Yo-Yo Ma, Nicholas Angelich, Gregor Sigl, Pavel Kolesnikov, Kim Kashkashian, Anne Gastinel and the Ébène and Auryn quartets. Winner of numerous first prizes, notably at the Geneva Competition and the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York, it is also supported by the Banque Populaire Foundation.
It was quartet in residence at the Chapelle Reine Elisabeth in Brussels from 2012 to 2016, and since 2019 has been associate quartet at the Fondation Singer-Polignac in Paris. Their close and privileged collaboration with the La Dolce Volta label has given rise to their complete recording of Schumann's quartets, as well as an album devoted to Ravel, Debussy and Dutilleux, both of which have won them multiple press awards.
Their latest recording of Schubert quartets, Rosamunde and La Jeune fille et la Mort, won the Choc Classica, as well as a Trophée Radio classique 2022.
Since 2018, the quartet has been broadening its musical horizons, meeting accordionist Félicien Brut and double bassist Édouard Macarez, with whom they decided to create Pari des Bretelles. In 2019, they released their first recording for Mirare.
Yan Levionnois plays a 1703 cello by David Tecchler, generously loaned by private patrons.
HERMES QUARTET
Omer Bouchez, violin
Elise Liu, violin
Yung-Hsin Lou Chang, viola
Yan Levionnois, cello
October 2024
