The Quartet

Violinists Mojca Fortin and Beti Bratina, violist Gea Pantner Volfand and cellist Zoran Bičanin have started their common artistic activity by chance. They had met in Chamber music class held by professor Tomaž Lorenz at Academy of Music in Ljubljana in 2009 and subsequently founded the Accadèmia string quartet. It developed very quickly into music group with considerable performative potential. Prior to graduation they received the Prešeren Price at the Academy of Music. They were improving their skills in masterclasses by notable chamber musicians, such as Trio di Parma, Wen-Sinn Yang, Ana Chumachenko, Nora Chastain and others. They continued their studies at University of Music and Performing Arts Graz in class of renown Carmina Quartet.

Accadèmia string quartet held its first public performance in February 2010. Since then they continued to grow into one of the most prominent Slovenian chamber music ensembles. Their performances are characterised by creativity, which however doesn’t neglect due consideration of composers intentions, and masterful execution, which doesn’t inhibit spontaneity of musical expression.

They perform concerts in Slovenia and abroad. They represented the Academy of Music during A Slovenian Month in Hungary in 2010, giving concerts in Budapest and Békéscsaba. In 2011 they took part at world premiere of Ragnar Rassmusen’s opera Heksehammeren. They perform with some notable soloists occasionally, including Mate Bekavac, Wendy Enderle-Champney, Jure Hladnik, with Polish jazz saxophonist Grzechem Piotrowskim and others. They appeared in various concert cycles and festivals with Jeunesse Musicale of Ljubljana and Slovenia, Metabonma, Echos Festival, Festival Bled, Festival Lent and Fondazione musicale Santa Cecilia in Portogruaro. Their collaboration with Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company performing works by Schubert and Ravel in 2017 has earned them much renown.

They proved their musical proficiency at various musical competitions. They were finalists at Amici della Musica international competition in Udine (Italy) and semifinalists at International competition of Festival Bled. They achieved first prize and third prize at Competition Primož Ramovš in 2012 and 2015 respectively.