Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Biography Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Cuarteto Latinoamericano
formed in 1982, is known worldwide as the leading proponent of Latin American music for string quartet. This award-winning ensemble from Mexico consists of the three Bitrán brothers, violinists Saúl and Arón and cellist Alvaro , along with violist Javier Montiel. The Cuarteto has recorded most of the Latin American repertoire for string quartet, and the sixth volume of their Villa-Lobos 17 quartets cycle, recorded for Dorian, was nominated for a Grammy award in 2002 in the field of Best Chamber Music Recording as well as for a Latin Grammy.
The Cuarteto has performed as soloist with many orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Seattle Symphony under Gerard Schwarz, with the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa, the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, the Dallas Symphony and the Símón Bolívar Orchestra of Venezuela. The Cuarteto has toured extensively around the world including performances in Europe and the Americas, as well as in New Zealand and Israel; they have appeared in a wide range of venues and festivals like the Concertgebouw, the Kennedy Center, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Dartmouth College, Cornell University, Dartington International Summer School and the Ojai Festival. They have collaborated with many artists including cellist Janos Starker, pianists Santiago Rodriguez, Cyprien Katsaris and Rudolph Buchbinder, tenor Ramon Vargas, and guitarists Narciso Yepes, Sharon Isbin, David Tanenbaum and Manuel Barrueco. With Mr. Barrueco, they have played in some of the most important venues of the USA and Europe, have recorded two cds, and commissioned guitar quintets from American composers Miguel del Aguila, Michael Daugherty and Gabriela Lena Frank.
The Cuarteto was in residence at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh from 1988 until 2008.
Under the auspices of the Sistema Nacional de Orquestas Juveniles of Venezuela, the Cuarteto has created the Latin American Academy for String Quartets, based in Caracas, which will serve as a training ground for five select young string quartets from the Sistema. The Cuarteto visits the Academy four times a year.
The Cuarteto has been awarded for the third consecutive time the México en Escena grant given by the Mexican government through FONCA (National Fund for Culture and the Arts) for the 2009/2011 period. The project revolves around the Bicentennial Celebrations of the Mexican independence and features Mexican music for string quartet from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
