Tickets Adults £23.00 each. Under 25 years £15.00 Licensed bar. Doors open at 7.00pm
Identification may be asked for to prove eligibility for any concessions.
Winner of the Grand Prix at the 4th International “Triomphe de l’Art” competition in Brussels, Belgium, The Karski Quartet is a multi-national ensemble of artists from Poland and Belgium, conquering the world with their music and their noble mission. Rapidly gaining recognition on the International music scene for its passionate interpretations of works ranging from Haydn to 21st century repertoire.
This evening they will be joined by cellist David Waterman formerly of the internationally renowned Endellion String Quartet
Karski Quartet takes its name from Jan Karski, the legendary World War II resistance-movement figure. Committed as he was to showing others the dramatic truth about the war, the Karski Quartet members strongly believe that every era needs heroes like him. Amid the serious difficulties which the whole human population is facing now, they find Karski’s profound compassion and uncompromising attitude an example to be emulated in art as well as in life.
Rapidly gaining recognition on the international music scene for its passionate interpretations of works ranging from Haydn to 21st century repertoire, the Karski Quartet was formed in Belgium in 2018 and performs in a wide range of venues throughout Europe. Highlights of the 2021/22 season include a debut recital at Flagey in Brussels, a performance at the String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, and the premiere of a new CD album with music by Enescu, Ravel and Debussy, recorded with Philippe Graffin and Traces Festival Ensemble. The quartet’s founding members are violinists Kaja Nowak and Natalia Kotarba, violinist and violist Diede Verpoest and cellist Julia Kotarba.
David Waterman was born into a musical family in Leeds. His mother is a pianist and teacher, and one of his earliest memories is of crawling under the piano and grabbing her ankles while she practised Brahms 2nd piano concerto. His father, a solicitor, adored music and was an excellent violinist and sisters, Wendy and Ruth, were truly prodigious at piano and violin respectively so music was being practised all around. After false starts with the piano and the violin David discovered the cello at the age of nine, and was relieved that no-one within the family was qualified to teach him.
Determined not to play music professionally, he studied philosophy for six years at Trinity College, Cambridge, becoming a Research Scholar, awarded MA and PhD degrees, and ended up as a tutor to philosophy undergraduates. At the same time David studied cello privately with Martin Lovett, William Pleeth and Jane Cowan, and having immersed himself in quartet-playing “for fun”, began to feel the irresistible urge to pursue it professionally, despite earlier resolutions. Meaning that most of his twenties were spent trying to make up for all the practising he didn’t do as a teenager.
As well as being a part of the Endellion Quartet David has enjoyed performing chamber music with many other musicians including members of the former Amadeus Quartet, and the Belcea, Chilingirian and Elias Quartets, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Joshua Bell, Imogen Cooper, Jeremy Denk, Isabelle Faust, Julia Fischer, Bruno Guiranna, Ivry Gitlis, Lukacs Hagen, Steven Isserlis, Stephen Kovacevic, Mark Padmore, Gabor Takacs-Nagy, Denes Varjon, Sandor Vegh, and Tabea Zimmerman.
David is very fortunate to play on a wonderful cello by J.B. Guadagnini jointly owned and shared with his great friend, Steven Isserlis.
