Fanny Anaïs Schell, violin I
Mario Sögtrop, violin II
Raphael Schönball, viola
David Fuchs, cello
In typography, the “Alinea” symbol means the beginning of a new thought. In a more literal sense, it also means the deviation from the norm and the established standard.
The young Alinea string quartet, founded in 2019, has set out to break away from the norms of both how and where to perform the great quartet repertoire. The four musicians, based in Munich in Germany, aim to give concerts not only in traditional venues, but also in unusual places such as museums, schools, and retirement homes. This approach has led them to perform at venues as diverse as the MAAT museum in Lisbon, at Cambridge University and the 59th Biennale in Venice.
In conversational recitals, they do not only perform their music but also share their personal thoughts and insights into the music – thus further breaking down the barriers that keep new listeners out of classical chamber music. By combining their instrumental skills with their individual backgrounds in fields such as musicology and philosophy, they seek to create new and exciting interpretations. Apart from studying and performing the traditional quartet repertoire, the Alinea Quartet strives to explore further by creating their own arrangements of both classical and jazz music.
The ensemble has received advice and input from renowned musicians such as Prof. Jörg Widmann, the Goldmund Quartet, Prof. Oliver Wille from the Kuss Quartet and Prof. Eckart Runge from the Artemis Quartet.
In 2020, the Alinea Quartet was granted a scholarship by the Brahms Society Baden-Baden. In 2021, they were nominated for the Special Prize “Ton und Erklärung” by the Kulturkreis des Bundes der deutschen Industrie (Cultural Society of the Federation of German Industry). They won the first prize and the special prize „Paolo Serrao“ at the XII. Concorso Musicale Cittá di Filadelfia. In the season of 2021/22, they are participating in the professional training programm of ProQuartet in Paris.
The Alinea Quartet was selected to join Le Dimore del Quartetto in 2021. They have also been selected for MUSA, a professional training project ideated by Le Dimore del Quartetto and co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme, aimed at enhancing musicians’ entrepreneurial skills.
The Alinea Quartet performs on instruments built by the Cremonese luthier Stefano Conia, which are provided to them by The String Circle.
