THE QUARTET
About us
„[…] they gave such a breathtaking performance that, in the end, the audience was stomping with excitement.”
“…this is how the Hamburger Abendblatt described the immense joy of playing and virtuosity after their concert at the Elbphilharmonie in February 2023, where the Simply Quartet appeared as the first string quartet in the ‘Fast Lane’ series. Their vast repertoire spans works from the early Classical period to the most recent compositions by living artists. Always in search of the greatest possible fidelity to the work, the four musicians immerse themselves in meticulous score study and approach the music with deep curiosity.
The current formation of the quartet was established during their shared studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where the four musicians worked closely with their most important mentor, Johannes Meissl. The quartet was originally founded in Shanghai, where Jensen Horn-Sin Lam has supported the ensemble from the very beginning. Other significant mentors include Hatto Beyerle and Patrick Jüdt (European Chamber Music Academy/ECMA), as well as Günter Pichler and Gerhard Schulz (Alban Berg Quartet).
The quartet has won four first prizes at prestigious chamber music competitions: the Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition 2019, the Quatuor à Bordeaux 2019, the International Chamber Music Competition “Franz Schubert and the Music of Modernity” 2018, and in 2017 at the 7th International Joseph Haydn Chamber Music Competition.
In the 2021/22 season, the Simply Quartet was one of the selected ensembles of the ECHO Rising Stars series, which led to debuts in the most important concert halls across Europe. The quartet now performs regularly at venues such as Wigmore Hall, Philharmonie Luxembourg, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Elbphilharmonie, BOZAR Brussels, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, as well as at renowned festivals like the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg.
Their debut album was released in spring 2025 on the GENUIN label, featuring Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 6 Op. 80 and Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 13 Op. 106. The recording has been met with enthusiastic praise from the international press.
Starting in the 2025/26 season, the Simply Quartet will share their own concert series at the Vienna Konzerthaus with the Leonkoro Quartet, under the title “string.” — a great honor and recognition!
Upcoming performances include concerts at the Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, the Salle Molière in Lyon, Amici della Musica in Florence, and the Mozarteum Salzburg.
First violinist Danfeng Shen plays a violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini from 1753, generously loaned to him by the MERITO String Instruments Trust GmbH.
Antonia Rankersberger plays a violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (“ex Beare – ex Tetzlaff,” Turin, 1776), made available by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank.
Xiang Lyu plays a viola by Edgar Russ (2010).
Ivan Valentin Hollup Roald plays a cello by Giovanni Battista Ceruti (1801), generously loaned by a private sponsor.
This biography is to be reproduced without any changes, omissions or additions, unless expressly authorized by artist management.
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