Marmen Quartet

Johannes Marmen – violin
Laia Valentin Braun – violin
Bryony Gibson-Cornish – viola
Sinéad O’Halloran – cello

Perfection with a soul

They come from four different countries and cultures: but what unites Johannes, Laia, Bryony and Sinéad are the musical conversations and stories they present to the audience. This fantastic world of string quartet music emerges from a constant musical dialog that is able to create a deep and meaningful connection through trust, respect and joy. It is this personal touch, this musical honesty, coupled with freedom and the courage to take risks, that creates this unique moment with the audience in concert.

2019 was a successful year for the Marmen Quartet: it won first prizes at the prestigious competitions in Bordeaux and Banff, Canada. Since then, the ensemble has performed in leading European and North American concert halls: from London's Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie and the Boulez Saal to the Konserthuset Stockholm and the Palladium Malmö. Festival engagements have taken it to the BBC Proms, Lockenhaus, the Rheingau Music Festival and the biennials in Amsterdam, Barcelona and the Gulbenkian Foundation.

On its debut in Australia, it took part in the Australian National Academy of Music's Quartet House project, which showcases musical as well as architectural talent. Hannah Kendall's work dedicated to the quartet was created there. Previous commissions include Salina Fisher's Heal, written for the Marmen Quartet during the pandemic and commissioned by Chamber Music New Zealand. In 2024, Secret Letters by Garth Knox (Arditti Quartet) was premiered, commissioned by the National String Quartet Foundation Ireland. The work refers to Janacek's Intimate Letters.

Founded in 2013 at the Royal College of Music, the Marmen Quartet studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Hanover with Oliver Wille and with Simon Rowland-Jones and John Myerscough (Doric Quartet) in London. Sponsored by Peter Cropper, it has received support from the Musicians Company/Concordia Foundation, the Hattori Foundation, Help Musicians and the Royal Philharmonic Society (Albert and Eugenie Frost Prize) and is an official Pirastro Artist.

Concerts on Sun 28.7
Website Marmen Quartet