William Coleman
Biography
William Coleman has made many appearances as a chamber musician and soloist, and as the violist of the acclaimed Berlin-based Kuss Quartet. His concert schedule has included concerts at the Salzburg and Edinburgh Festivals, as well as at the Berlin Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein, Wigmore Hall, Theatre du Chatelet Paris, Washington Library of Congress and Carnegie Hall. William studied with Thomas Riebl and Veronika Hagen at the University “Mozarteum” in Salzburg and with Kim Kashkashian at the New England Conservatory in Boston. During this time he also received regular coaching from the Hungarian pianist Ferenc Rados.
He has performed with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Christian Tetzlaff, Yuri Bashmet, Miklos Perenyi, Kim Kashkashian, Boris Pergamenschikov, Leif Ove Andsnes, Til Felner, Antje Weithaas and Clemens Hagen, as well as extensive experience working directly with contemporary composers such as Helmut Lachenmann and György Kurtag. In 2002, William joined the Kuss Quartet.
He has been invited to give masterclasses worldwide, including in the U.S., the Kronberg Academy, the Suntory Academy in Tokyo, as well as return visits for solo concerts and masterclasses in Singapore and Australia.
The Kuss Quartet has recorded numerous CDs for Sony/BMG, ECM and Onyx. They have also been recorded worldwide for radio and television. Most recently the quartet broadcast for the BBC, live from the Frick Collection in New York.
Highlights of the coming season include return invitations to the major concert venues in Salzburg, Madrid, Florence, Stuttgart, Cologne, London, New York, Washington, Zurich and Berlin.
Since 2015 he is Professor for Viola at the Universität “Mozarteum” in Salzburg.
William Coleman plays on a Carlo Antonio Testore of 1736, once owned by the legendary violist Lionel Tertis, and plays exclusively Evah Pirazzi Gold strings.
www.kussquartet.com (April 2023)
Events
STRING QUARTET 2023 | FINAL ROUND
Sunday 29 October, 2:00 PM, Victoria Hall, Geneva
The three finalist quartets perform a string quartet of their choice. The order of performance was determined by a draw at the beginning of the competition. There will be a 15 minute intermission between the first and second quartets. At the end of the final, the jury will retire to deliberate and the winners will be announced on stage approximately one hour after the end of the concert, i.e. around 6pm.
PROGRAMME
QUARTETT HANA
Fuga Miwatashi, Violin 1 & 2
Gyurim Kwak, Violin 1 & 2
Emiko Yuasa, Viola
Johannes Välja, Cello
F. MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847)
String Quartet N° 3 in D Major Op. 44/1
- Molto allegro vivace
- Menuetto : un poco allegretto
- Andante espressivo ma con moto
- Presto con brio
--- pause ---
QUATUOR ELMIRE
David Petrlik, Violin 1
Yoan Brakha, Violin 2
Hortense Fourrier, Viola
Rémi Carlon, Cello
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770 - 1827)
String Quartet n°8 in E minor Op. 59/2 «Razumovski»
- Allegro
- Molto Adagio. Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento
- Allegretto - Maggiore, Thème russe.
- Finale. Presto
--- pause ---
NOVO QUARTET
Kaya Kato Møller, Violin 1
Nikolai Vasili Nedergaard, Violin 2
Daniel Śledziński, Viola
Signe Ebstrup Bitsch, Cello
F. MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847)
String Quartet N° 2 in A minor Op. 13
- Adagio – Allegro vivace
- Adagio non lento
- Intermezzo
- Presto – Adagio non lento
Followed by the prize-giving ceremony
77th CONCOURS DE GENÈVE
STRING QUARTET SEMI-FINAL - RECITAL 2
26-27 October 2023, Salle Franz Liszt, Conservatoire de Genève
Sessions at 15:30, 17:00 & 19:00
THURSDAY 26 OCTOBER
Session 1 - 15:30
- P. Dusapin: Quatuor V
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°15 in A minor, Op. 132
Session 2 - 17:00 - Cancelled
Session 3 - 19:00
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°11 in F minor, Op. 95
- S. Sciarrino: Sei quartetti brevi
- D. Shostakovich: String Quartet n°8 in C minor, Op. 110
FRIDAY 27 OCTOBER
Session 4 - 15:30
Ast Quartet
- C. Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°4 in C minor, Op. 18/4
- R. Saunders: Fletch
Session 5 - 17:00
Quatuor Elmire
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°1 in F Major, Op. 18/1
- A. Webern: Langsamer Satz
- P. Dusapin: Quatuor V
Session 6 - 19:00
Novo Quartet
- C. Nielsen: String Quartet n°1 in G minor, Op. 13
- F. Donatoni: La Souris sans sourire
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°8 in E minor, Op. 59/2
STRING QUARTET SEMI-FINAL ROUND - ARTISTIC PROJECT
26-27 October, 10:00-12:00, Salle Bartholoni, Conservatoire de Genève
Innovative and daring artists, strong personalities, musicians who inspire us: these are the men and women who will shape the musical world of tomorrow. The Competition's mission is to discover them and to support them as they take the first steps in their careers.
To achieve this, we have created an ambitious programme and assembled prestigious juries, but that is not all. The Concours de Genève has distinguished itself by introducing a third stage to the semi-final round: the "personal artistic project". We ask the semi-finalists, with the help of two experienced coaches who will work with them beforehand, to design an artistic project that they would like to carry out if they are selected for the Final.
Then, on 26 and 27 October the quartets will have to defend their project in front of the jury in a public interview with the journalist Charlotte Gardner.
A unique opportunity to discover the depth and complexity of these young artists.
Free entrance, limited spaces
77th CONCOURS DE GENÈVE
STRING QUARTET SEMI-FINAL - RECITAL 1
24-25 October 2023, Salle Franz Liszt, Conservatoire de Genève
TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER
Session 1 - 15:00
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 77, n°1 in G Major, Hob.III.81
- K. Szymanowski: String Quartet n°2, Op. 56
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°3 in C-sharp minor, Sz. 85
Session 2 - 17:00
-- Cancelled --
Session 3 - 19:00
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°6 in D Major, Sz. 114
- A. Webern: Langsamersatz
- F. Mendelssohn: String Quartet n°6 in F minor, Op. 80
WEDNESDAY 25 OCTOBER
Session 4 - 15:00
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°3 in C-sharp minor, Sz. 85
- L. v. Beethoven: String Quartet n°9 in C Major, Op. 59/3
- F. Mendelssohn: String Quartet n°6 in F minor, Op. 80
Session 5 - 17:00
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°2 in A minor, Op. 17, Sz. 67
- A. Webern: Sechs Bagatellen, Op. 9
- F. Mendelssohn: String Quartet n°4 in E minor, Op. 44 n°2
Session 6 - 19:00
Novo Quartet
- B. Bartók: String Quartet n°4 in C Major, Sz. 91
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20, n°2 in C Major, Hob.III.32, “Sun”
- J. Brahms: String Quartet n°2 in A minor, Op. 51
77th CONCOURS DE GENÈVE
STRING QUARTET - ONLINE RECITAL
SESSION 1 - MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER, 10:00 AM GMT+2
Moser String Quartet, Switzerland
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, n°2 in D minor, Hob.III.76
- D. Shostakovich: Quartet n°8 in C minor, Op. 110
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33, n°1 in B minor, Hob.III.37
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20, n°2 in C Major, Hob.III.32
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
SESSION 2 - MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER, 14:00 PM GMT+2
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, n°3 in C Major, Hob.III.77
- M. Ravel: Quartet in F Major
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20, n°4 in D Major, Hob.III.34
- G. Ligeti: Quartet n°1, “Métamorphoses Nocturnes”
- W.A Mozart: String Quartet n°17 in B-flat Major, K.458 “The Hunt”
- D. Shostakovich: Quartet n°8 in C minor, Op. 110
SESSION 3 - TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER, 10:00 AM GMT+2
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 77, n°1 in G Major, Hob.III.81
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 50, n°1 in B-flat Major, Hob.III.44
- G. Ligeti: Quartet n°1, “Métamorphoses Nocturnes”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, n°5 in D Major, Hob.III.79
- H. Dutilleux: Quartet “Ainsi la nuit”
SESSION 4 - TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER, 2:00 PM GMT+2
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op 77, n°1 in G Major, Hob.III.81
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°2 “Intimate letters”
- W.A. Mozart: String Quartet n°14 in G Major, K. 387 “The Spring”
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 20, n°2 in C Major, Hob.III.32
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°2 “Intimate letters”
SESSION 5 - WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER, 10:00 AM GMT+2
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33, n°1 in B minor, Hob.III.37
- L. Janáček: Quartet n°2 “Intimate letters”
- J. Haydn: String Quartet Op. 76, n°1 in G Major, Hob.III.75
- D. Shostakovich: Quartet n°8 in C minor, Op. 110