ECMA Ensembles 2024 / Best-of

The Javus Quartet is a string quartet from Salzburg consisting of violinists Marie-Therese Schwöllinger, Alexandra Moser, violist Marvin Stark, and cellist Oscar Hagen. The four young musicians have been playing together in various formations for many years and founded the Javus Quartet in 2016. 

They have been significantly influenced in their development by Lukas Hagen, the first violinist of the Hagen Quartet. Currently, the ensemble is studying with Johannes Meissl at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and receives impulses through working with leading chamber music professors in the world. Particularly noteworthy are Eberhard Feltz, Hatto Beyerle, Gerhard Schulz, Valentin Erben, Rainer Schmidt, and Thomas Adès. Their active concert activity at home and abroad has led them to renowned concert halls such as the Wiener Musikverein, Konzerthaus Wien, Konzerthaus Blaibach, Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg, as well as music festivals such as the «Mattseer Diabelli Sommer» and the «Mozartwoche Salzburg.»

Their chamber music partners include Valentin Erben from the Alban Berg Quartet, Jean and Agnes Sulem, Matthias Schorn, and Pauline Sachse. The quartet was awarded the «Hans Gal Prize,» the «Musica Juventutis Prize,» the «Zukunftsklang Award Stuttgart» in 2022, as well as the Audience Prize of the «Irene Steels Wilsing Competition» within the framework of the «Heidelberger Frühling» in 2020.

Among the most in-demand young ensembles in Denmark, NOVO Quartet has already earned recognition from several prestigious international competitions after 5 years of dedicated work. Most recently, they won first prize and 4 other awards at Geneva International Music Competition 2023. Furthermore, they were selected by The Danish Arts Foundation for «The Young Artistic Elite» program 2024-26.

NOVO is currently enrolled at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where they receive invaluable mentorship from Johannes Meissl. Furthermore, the quartet has had the privilege of benefiting from the musical guidance of renowned artists, including members of the Alban Berg Quartet, Artemis Quartet, Quatuor Ébène, and the Danish String Quartet.

Susato Trio was founded in May 2022 by violinist Sarah Bayens (Belgium), cellist Mikko Pablo (Philippines-USA) and pianist Markiyan Popil (Ukraine).  Based in Belgium, they have been mentored collectively and individually by Guy Danel, Sergei Edelmann, Shirly Laub and Justus Grimm.

Their debut concert for the Young Belgian Talent Winner’s Concert of 2022 was a huge success leading to upcoming CD recording opportunities. 

Equally comfortable with the standard repertoire and with exploring new frontiers, Susato Trio recently collaborated  with composer Adam Clarke to record music for choreographer John William Watson’s dance piece  «Hang in there Baby», which premiered in the prestigious Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.

In December 2022, they  won 1st prize at the Generation Classique Competition organized by Les Festivals de Wallonie and in January 2024 they won 1st prize and the public’s prize at the Supernova Chamber Music Competition organized by the Klarafestival.

They are currently pursuing their chamber music master’s studies through the European Chamber Music Academy Master’s Program, a two-year collaboration between the conservatories of The Hague, Vienna, Paris, Oslo, Vilnius, Manchester, and Fiesole.

Graduates of the CNSD de Paris and the HMDK Stuttgart, the members of theTrio met in 2020 at the Académie Musicale Philippe Jaroussky during their residency at the Seine musicale in Paris. Their first concerts took place in France and in Germany, including Jeunes Talents in Paris, Les Pianissimes, the Institut français in Saarbrucken. They founded the Festival «Les Heures Classiques» in 2021 on the Lake Annecy.

In 2021, they made their radio debut on France Musique, where they performed Felix Mendelssohn's first trio. They received the support of cellist Gautier Capuçon on his «Place aux jeunes» program on Radio Classique. They benefited from a year's artistic residency in Anjou supported by the Pays-de-Loire Region. They have been selected in 2023 as ProQuartet's artists-in-residence for two years. They work with Vincent Coq from the Wanderer trio.