The Oldest String Quartet in the World

Tourists who find themselves in Zagreb during the month of March should not miss a concert by the Zagreb Quartet – the oldest string quartet in the world.

The well-known Zagreb Quartet was established in 1919. Now that many string quartets in the world have discontinued their activity, it has become, and remains, the oldest quartet in the world. Year in and year out, this group of musicians very successfully promotes Zagreb and its very rich musical heritage. It is therefore no surprise that the quartet members, violinists Goran Končar and Davor Philips, violist Hrvoje Philips and cellist Martin Jordan have become so well-known that even tourists on a short visit to Zagreb make sure to put their concert on their travel itinerary. This year, guests who find themselves in Zagreb either on the 18th or the 30th of March will indeed be able to enjoy the tunes performed by the oldest quartet in the world.

On the 18th of March, the quartet will appear in the Zagreb Hall of the Hrvatski Glazbeni Zavod /Croatian Music Institute/. They will be joined by a guest from Russia, pianist Natalia Frull. On the 30th March, they are scheduled to appear in the Church of St. Cross in the Siget neighborhood of Zagreb and play a famous piece by J.S. Bach – Die Kunst der Fuge.
The Zagreb Quartet, the oldest Croatian and world chamber music ensemble, was founded in 1919 by Vaclav Huml, Ladislav Miranov, Milan Graf and Umberto Fabbri. 

During the long years of its existence, the quartet has performed in the best known concert halls like the Sydney Opera House, New York’s UN Concert Hall, Berlin’s Schauspielhaus, London’s St. John Smith Square, to name but a few. Many recordings, including over 40 gramophone records, testify to the rich repertoire of the Zagreb Quartet but also to its constant efforts to promote domestic music creation. Many Croatian and foreign composers have dedicated their work to the Zagreb Quartet since as early as 1920. The Quartet has received numerous domestic and foreign awards and recognitions for its achievements.

The Quartet continues to pursue its impressive activity. Its members regularly participate at numerous international festivals and on stages across the world. In mid-February, for example, they performed in Milan, and are scheduled to tour Hungary and Japan and appear at a festival in Ankara, Turkey. 

In addition to numerous guest appearances worldwide, the Zagreb Quartet members also regularly perform in Zagreb and promote its rich cultural heritage. “The Zagreb Quartet was the first professional ensemble to be founded in Croatia with an underlying idea, amongst others, to demonstrate to the world all the beauty and rich heritage of our homeland. We continue making efforts to that end. We believe that our cooperation with the City Tourist Board is the way to establish a link between culture and tourism which will benefit tourists and bring them closer to the “buried cultural and music treasures” still pretty much hidden from the eyes and ears of our foreign guests,” said Goran Končar, a Zagreb Quartet violinist.