Ruben Aharonian, 1^st violin

Andrei Abramenkov, 2^nd violin

Igor Naidin, viola

Valentin Berlinsky, cello

“I know of no other quartet in which the players efface themselves as selflessly as in the Borodin, as if each player were actively engaged in playing all the parts, not just the one under his fingers.” -- The Globe and Mail, Toronto, November 19, 2005

For more than 60 years, the Borodin Quartet has been celebrated for its insight and authority in the chamber music repertoire. Revered for its searching performances of Beethoven and Shostakovich, the Quartet is equally at home in music ranging from Mozart to Stravinsky.

The Borodin Quartet’s particular affinity with Russian repertoire was stimulated by a close relationship with Shostakovich, who personally supervised its study of each of his quartets. Widely regarded as definitive interpretations, the Quartet’s cycles of the complete Shostakovich quartets have been performed all over the world, including Vienna, Zurich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Lisbon, Seville, London, Paris, Ottawa and New York. In recent seasons the ensemble has returned to a broader repertoire, including works by Schubert, Prokofiev, Borodin and Tchaikovsky, while continuing to be welcomed and acclaimed at major venues throughout the world.

The Borodin Quartet was formed in 1945 by four students from the Moscow Conservatory. Ten years later, it changed its name from the Moscow Philharmonic Quartet to the Borodin Quartet. Cellist Valentin Berlinsky was one of the founding members; Andrei Abramenkov became a member in 1975; and Ruben Aharonian and Igor Naidin joined in 1996. Each member has been honored with awards and critical recognition.

In addition to performing quartets, the members of the Borodin Quartet regularly join forces with other distinguished musicians to further explore the chamber music repertoire. Their partners have included Yuri Bashmet, Elisabeth Leonskaja and Christoph Eschenbach. The Quartet has also recently given master classes in Vienna, Porto, Sydney and Melbourne.

For its 60^th Anniversary Season, the Borodin Quartet performed cycles of the complete Beethoven quartets at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Vienna Musikverein. Gala concerts honoring the Quartet’s contribution to musical history were performed in Moscow (January 2005) and at London’s Wigmore Hall and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysees in Paris (May 2005). The ensemble was also heard in recital in Madrid, Rotterdam, Brussels, Geneva, Munich, Lisbon, Barcelona, Athens, Cologne, Istanbul, Zurich, Berlin, Moscow, Vancouver, New York, Los Angeles, and London, playing the music of Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Shostakovich – and of course Borodin.

The CD label Chandos recorded and released the complete Beethoven quartets as part of the 60th anniversary celebration. The Quartet’s first release on the Onyx label, featuring Borodin, Schubert, Webern and Rachmaninoff, was nominated for a Grammy in the 2005 Best Chamber Performance category. The Borodin Quartet has produced a rich heritage of recordings over several decades, for labels including EMI, RCA and Teldec. Among its Teldec recordings, those of Tchaikovsky’s Quartets and Souvenir de Florence, Schubert’s String Quintet, Haydn’s Seven Last Words and a disc of Russian Miniatures all received acclaim. The Tchaikovsky disc was honored with a Gramophone Award in 1994.

January 2007
Please discard all previously printed materials.

Biography

Note: The following individual bios should not be printed in programs, but are included for media contacts:

RUBEN AHARONIAN, violin, was born in Riga, Latvia in 1947. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Professor Yankelevich and after graduating, with Leonid Kogan. He has won prizes at several international competitions, including the Enescu Competition in Bucharest, the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and the Montreal Competition. Mr. Aharonian was for many years Professor of Violin at the Yerevan State Conservatory. He has a wide-ranging discography and has toured extensively throughout Europe, North and South America.

ANDREI ABRAMENKOV, violin, was born in Moscow in 1935. His musical training began at an early age. Both of his parents were musicians - his father played the viola in the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra and his mother was a trained pianist. As a boy he sang as a soprano in the Bolshoi Theatre Choir. He studied violin with Yankelevich in Moscow at the Central Music and later at the Moscow Conservatory with Sibor and Mostras. In 1956, he was a prizewinner at the all-Soviet Competition. While still a student at the Conservatory, he was invited to join the Moscow Chamber Orchestra under the leadership of Rudolf Barshai, with whom he played for 16 years.

IGOR NAIDIN, viola, was born in 1969. He began his musical studies at the age of seven and continued at the Moscow Conservatory under Yuri Bashmet. In 1995 he won the Second International Viola Competition in Moscow, receiving an additional prize for ensemble playing. He was a founding member of the Quartetto Russo which won awards at the London International String Quartet Competition and “Concertino Prague.” The Quartetto Russo received regular coaching from Mikhail Kopelman (the Borodin Quartet’s first violinist for 20 years) and Dmitri Shebalin, whom he eventually replaced in the Borodin Quartet.

VALENTIN BERLINSKY, cello, was born in 1925 in Irkutsk. He began studying music at the age of seven with his father, who was a violinist, but the lessons did not last long. When he was 13 that he began serious studies at the Central Music School in Moscow and subsequently, the Moscow Conservatory as part of Kozolunov's class. In 1945 he and some colleagues formed a new string quartet, the Moscow Philharmonic Quartet, which became the Borodin Quartet. He began giving cello and quartet lessons at the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow, where he still teaches today. In December 2006, Mr. Berlinsky was awarded France’s highest award, the Order of the Legion of Honeur, for his contribution to the development of cultural collaboration between Russia and France.

Critical acclaim:

Beethoven: String Quartets, Volume 6: “It has proved to be a fascinating project, distinguished by fine, beautifully balanced tone, a sense of spontaneous expression and many musical insights. Beethoven would have been entirely delighted to hear his quartets sound so beautiful. Certainly he’d have been impressed by the perfect way the Borodins solve all the technical problems he sets.”

Gramophone Magazine – June 2006

Shostakovich Cycle: Norwich, England “The cycle of Shostakovich Quartets came to an end with a standing ovation for the Borodin Quartet. What this cycle has principally revealed has been the sheer diversity, its violent shifts of emotion and the almost alien qualities of its Russian roots. This pervasive quality is what makes the Borodin’s readings so special. There had been excellent performances of the early quartets. The last six marked a turning point for Shostakovich, and in these works the Borodin raised their playing to an even higher standard. The culmination came with No. 15, that seems haunted by a spectre of death that was totally compelling. It felt like the end of a long journey and the standing ovation the Borodin received showed how much the audience, who have packed the John Innes Centre, have taken these performers, and this music, to the heart.”

Eastern Daily Press, March 13, 2006

“While the illustrious Borodin Quartet is playing in Norwich, its notes are being matched by the Emerson String Quartet in London. Both have much to commend them, though on a compare-and-contrast sampling, the Borodins had the edge. The great quality they bring to their playing of Shostakovich is that elusive one of atmosphere. Without doubt, this has something to do with the fact that the ensemble’s tradition of performing these works goes right back to the time of Shostakovich. Nor is it mere illusion that this association gives the Borodins special insight; it is actually manifested in the music-making. In their performances, there was an unusual aura of intimacy, a mellowness and subtlety that not only invited contemplation, but surreptitiously enveloped you in Shostakovich’s private world. This did not lessen the savage impact of the Third Quartet, nor quell the hysteria in the finale of the Second. But in moments such as the strange, fugitive waltz of the Second Quartet or the cello in the Third’s adagio, the colouring was such as to generate a gentle frisson that the Borodins had reached the music’s expressive heart and soul. The Emerson Quartet brings to its playing a technical finesse that is hard to beat. But that frisson never came. For all its immaculate grooming, the playing failed to emulate the Borodins’ emotional weight and depth.”

The Telegraph (London), March 8, 2006

“Norfolk and Norwich Chamber Music have achieved a remarkable coup in engaging the Borodin Quartet for a complete cycle of Shostakovich’s quartets in this the centenary year. It is the pity of war that concerns Shostakovich, especially in the violin recitative in the slow movement brilliantly played by Ruben Aharonian. Moving to see the octogenarian cellist Berlinsky a little more frail perhaps but still on form; a living legacy to the quartet’s close collaboration with the composer. One expects highest technical perfection from the Borodin, but their playing seemed to be in their very bones. A splendid beginning to what promises to be a richly rewarding musical experience.”

Eastern Daily Press, March 4, 2006

“Best of 2005”

“The amazing Borodin Quartet leads off our ‘Bests of the Year’ with their Grammy nomination: ‘Best Chamber Performance’ for their 60^th Anniversary recording on the new British label Onyx Classics.
“The Borodin Quartet made SF Classical Voice’s ‘best’ list: ‘A quartet in longer continuous existence than any in history, whose founding cellist is still there 60 years on, brought a program of rare Russian repertoire and performed it with great warmth, jaw-dropping virtuosity, and sheer fun.’”

SFCV.org, December 27, 2005

60^th Anniversary Tour:

“Beethoven displayed all the Borodin’s virtues, from its sweet yet tough sound to its capacity for reading the emotional intelligence underlying a score. This group is one for the ages.”

Globe and Mail (Toronto), November 19, 2005

“It is a great honor for Toronto that the Borodin’s 60^th Anniversary world tour should conclude here. If only they would come back, soon.”

TheLiveMusicReport.com, November 19, 2005

“The evening was imbued with musical taste, fine musicianship, and that something quite special that leaves audiences and reviewers gasping for superlatives. The performance was richly detailed and exquisitely crafted. A ruthless technical perfectionism fully abetted by a rare emotional depth. The collaboration between the musicians was nothing less than remarkable in its intensity.”

ReviewVancouver.org, November 17, 2005

“One is ever aware of their uncannily unified ensemble, their precisely matched and completely balanced voice – the ultimate quartet ideal of four musicians playing as one.”

Vancouver Sun, November 15, 2005

60^th Anniversary CD - Onyx Classics:

Headline: “Sheer beauty of sound in this release” “Refined, breathed phrasing, flexibility of ensemble, tonal variety; all these qualities converge – along with years of accumulated experience and a grand sympathy for the works they perform – to make the Borodin D Major a precious moment of chamber music. The very opening of the Scherzo blew me away for the sheer beauty of sound.”

Audiophile Audition, September 28, 2005

“The Moscow-based Borodin String Quartet not only marks its 60^th anniversary this year; founding cellist Valentin Berlinsky notches his 80^th birthday. His partners have changed over the decades, but the group retains a Russian, romantic sound familiar from recordings of Shostakovich and much else for virtually every major label. This set features idiomatic performances of Borodin’s complete Second Quartet and short encore pieces by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff. The quartet backs the lushness of Webern’s ‘Langsamer Satz’ – the disc’s most transporting work – with sinew.”

New Jersey Star Ledger, September 27, 2005

Headline: "Still going strong, the Borodins remain at the forefront of the quartet circuit.” “One of my most abiding musical memories is of a series of three concerts where the Borodin Quartet played the Shostakovich cycle. Since then various personnel changes have included two involving the leader's chair, first from Rostislav Dubinsky to Mikhail Kopelman, then in 1995/96 to the superb Rubén Aharonian. The broad outline of the Borodin's interpretative style has altered very little over the years: Kopelman's Quartet the most red-blooded, Aharonian reclaiming a certain refinement. This new version of No 2 is very beautiful, rather more malleable than its predecessors, with Valentin Berlinsky's cello at start of the celebrated Notturno a little thinner in tone than it had been. But then, 60 years' service as the 'bass-line' of one of the world's great ensembles is a pretty remarkable achievement and it's something of a miracle that he's still playing as well as he is. The rest of the programme confirms favourable first impressions. Tchaikovsky's Andante cantabile is played with subtle feeling and due respect for the score's part-writing. Rachmaninov's rarely heard but winningly lyrical Romance, an early piece and something of a Borodin Quartet speciality, recalls the 'old' world of Glazunov rather than anticipating the more sophisticated elements of Rachmaninov's later style. Borodin's Serenata alla spagnola opens to lusty, guitar-like pizzicato while Webern's languorous Langsamer Satz has a beguiling warmth and amply demonstrates how, at their best, the Borodins have lost nothing in terms of opulence or sensual allure. And there's Schubert, his Quartettsatz swaying suavely with agitated contrasts and some telling but never overdone rubato. So, as one normally says on these occasions, here's to the next 60 years and thanks to Onyx for a fine, nicely recorded tribute.”

Gramophone Magazine - September 2005

Shostakovich complete quartets, Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival: Headline: “Eloquent Borodin Quartet blows them away” “The phrasing, the sound, everything was incredible. They have this huge palette of sound and an intelligence that goes from beginning to end, movement to movement. When the final sighing notes hung in the air, there was a long silence before the crowd, caught up in the spell of the music, let out its breath and erupted into ceiling-rattling cheers.”

Ottawa Citizen, July 28, 2005

Headline: “Borodin Quartet enthralls crowd” “The five-concert series was one of the most ambitious projects the festival has presented. When it was over, the crowd of 950 stood and cheered and brought the musicians back to the stage four times. As the audience roared and applauded and refused to let the musicians leave, Berlinsky pointed to the composer’s name, making sure that a good share of the applause went to Shostakovich. Several people wiped away tears, and Citizen critic Richard Todd called the five performances ‘the musical experience of my life.’”

Ottawa Citizen, August 5, 2005

“During a recent performance by the Borodin Quartet, the sun set behind the musicians, creating a field of dark blue in a bright red frame - as bewitching as the Beethoven on the program.”

New York Times, June 19, 2005

“This was the second of three concerts that the Borodin Quartet gave over the weekend to mark its diamond jubilee and the 80th birthday of Valentin Berlinsky, the cellist who has been in place for the whole of that time. It is Berlinsky's mellow timbre that forms the basis of the quartet's mellifluous sonority. There is never anything that jars; they have no need to drive their points home. It was a programme that demonstrated the players' magical fusion of maturity and freshness, with an enlivening sense that their long experience of the music, far from dulling their response to it, only served to deepen their interpretative insight.”

Daily Telegraph (London), May 24, 2005

“The Borodin was transformed into a superb, flawless instrument, playing the enormous variety of music with equal excellence - from rafter-shaking fortissimos to a hushed conversation between Berlinsky's cello and Igor Naidin's viola. Aharonian and second violinist Andrei Abramenkov played like angels, and the ovation following that beautiful silence was almost enough to coax a smile from the quartet.”

San Francisco Classical Voice, April 5, 2005

Headline: “60 years and still pulling the heartstrings” “Their playing was light in touch, refined in ensemble and unified in expression. Shostakovich's Quartet No. 3 traversed the greatest emotional distance. The complex final movement depicted the true sense of loss and desolation, with the violin ascending the heights to close the piece in silence.”

Los Angeles Times, April 11, 2005

“What better way to channel this often beautiful music than through the Borodin Quartet, Individual musicians come and go, but institutions like the Borodin keep their name and, with luck, their identity. New members draw interest on an inherited style. In the search for weight and dramatic pressure, all four musicians seem happy to push boundaries and risk the rough sound or fractured tone. They are excellent, experienced string players. The Tchaikovsky was bold in its outer movements and elaborately ardent in its inner Andante. The Third Shostakovich Quartet: its five wonderful movements hovering between whimsy, sarcasm and despair.”

New York Times, April 5, 2005

“There is something exceptional about hearing the Borodin Quartet play Beethoven. The Borodin has a particular quality of mellowness and maturity that knows just how much emphasis to put on a phrase to make it tell. There is no high-wire tension, no exaggeration, no deliberate underlining of a point, but the sense of both immediacy and completeness that comes through the playing is utterly compelling. Time, thought and seasoned temperament had all been harnessed in the cause of probing the music, understanding its expressive scope and conveying it with a perfect blend of reason and sensibility. The Borodin could do rhythmic sleights of hand in the D Major, create a haunting atmosphere in the slow movement of the Razumovsky No 3, and summon a whole world of feeling in the late B-flat quartet. But it was the way in which these qualities forged a perspective of richness and coherence that told of an ensemble thoroughly at one with the music.”

Telegraph (London), June 30, 2004

“Beethoven-mania at the Musikverein: It's not enough that in the Goldenen Saal Daniel Barenboim has been slugging through the collected Sonatas on the imposing Grand. Next door the Borodin Quartet now starts their cycle of all of the master's Quartets. With the latter, how does one begin? The numerically-thinking Russians started with Op. 18/1 - though the actual firstborn is to be found two numbers further in the same opus. But one immediately forgets such details as soon as the four men play through the F Major Opus. Each passage is imbued with its unique coloration, attentively exploring even the work's remotest angles - through which their arched, taut elbows never seem to break. All of this succeeds with a transparency one strives for in a studio recording. One does not get to hear such lucid Beethoven every day. And never so effortlessly. Their sforzati moved through the ensemble weightlessly, like short gusts of wind - until the quartet at last masterfully brought the Finale to rest. The Borodins bow evenly without hard breaks: Thanks to their virtuosity and simply their joy of playing, they did something great without even a wink of effort. And hardly less in the harp quartet: impish flashes of pizzicati, as the distinctive dance swings the Scherzo. The Adagio of the Rasumovsky Quartet completed the great moment. With out-of-this-world string-sound dreams, the Borodin's Beethoven is absolutely meant for all time - which gave reason for plentiful applause.”

Wiener Zeitung - April 23, 2004