String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam

The String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam is the biggest string quartet festival in the world. The festival was launched in January 2018 and will see its fifth edition next winter: January 24-31, 2026.

Once every two years, Amsterdam’s storied Muziekgebouw becomes a hotspot for world-class and young emerging string quartets, composers, renowned soloists, guest speakers, and curious listeners. Over eight immersive days, the entire performance venue is given over to a festival celebrating the great quartet tradition, with over 50 concerts, masterclasses, and talks. Artists and audience mingle freely between events in the building’s striking public spaces, with dramatic views over the river and city skyline.

The String Quartet Biennale is a true laboratory of unbounded creativity and discovery for both string quartet devotees and newcomers to the genre. As The Guardian said, “it’s Quartet Disney World!”. We bring together over 30 string quartets from different backgrounds and ages to create a dynamic and innovative festival, one we believe to be unique in the world.

Join us in January 2026 for an unforgettable celebration of string quartet!

Watch the 2024 festivals aftermovie here.

Festival line-up for the 2026 edition:
Belcea Quartet, Cuarteto Casals, Engegård Quartet, Quatuor Ébène, Quatuor Arod, Malion Quartett, Chiaroscuro Quartet, Maxwell Quartet, Barbican Quartet, Pavel Haas Quartet, Quatuor Van Kuijk, PUBLIQuartet, Marmen Quartet, Leonkoro Quartet, Animato Kwartet, Belinfante Quartet, Attacca Quartet, Signum Quartett, Chaos String Quartet, ADAM Quartet, North Sea String Quartet and 1st prize winners of the Banff, Trondheim and Wigmore Hall string quartet competitions.

14 (world) premieres by:
Samuel Adams, David Lang, Brett Dean, Denise Onen, Aftab Darvishi, Dizu Plaatjies, Richard Ayres, Alexander Raskatov, Eleanor Alberga, Mathilde Wantenaar, Boris Bezemer, Primo Ish-Hurwitz, Vinthya Perinpanathan, Frieda Gustavs, Hanna Kulenty, Jan-Peter de Graaff.

With special guests:
Elisabeth Hetherington (soprano), Tabea Zimmermann (viola), Klaus Mäkelä (cello), Dizu Plaatjies (African instruments), Olga Pashchenko (piano), Olli Mustonen (piano), Khorshid Dadbeh (tanbur), DOMNIQ (percussion), Julian Steckel (cello), Takehiro Konoe (viola), Naomi Shaham (double bass).

Visit our website for further information: www.sqba.nl/en