The Henschel Quartet is a German string quartet comprising the Henschel siblings; Christoph and Markus (violinists), Monika (viola) and Mathias Beyer-Karlshøj (cellist), who joined them in 1994.Brother Markus left the quartet in 2010, and was succeeded by Daniel Bell in 2012. In 2016–2018 Catalin Desaga took the place of the second violin. Today the Quartet consists of following members: Christoph Henschel and Teresa La Cour (violinists), Monika Henschel (viola) and Mathias Beyer-Karlshøj (cello).
Christoph, Markus and Monika Henschel studied with Felix Andrievsky, a graduate of the Moscow Violin School of playing (Yampolsky and Yankelevich) and gained distinction in their diplomas from the Royal College of Music, in London. Mathias Beyer-Karlshøj studied with the Swedish cellist Thorleif Thedeen and gained a distinction in 1996, at the end of his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
An intensive musical experience was gained through their contact with Sergiu Celibidache and with Prof. Franz Beyer from the Musikhochschule in Munich. The London Master Classes and classes at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, Germany with the Amadeus Quartet had a determining influence on the musical development and direction of the ensemble. Similarly, regular courses with members of the La Salle Quartet and Alban Berg Quartet had a profound influence on the Henschel Quartet. The Henschel Quartet were quartet in residence at both the Aldeburgh Festival (1994) and at the Tanglewood Music Festival (1995/1996). At the latter, they were coached by musicians Louis Krasner and Eugene Lehner, who had worked with composers such as Béla Bartók and Arnold Schoenberg, and who gave the quartet unique insights into the works of the Second Viennese School.
The Henschel Quartet's repertoire encompasses more than 200 works from the classical and romantic to 20th century and contemporary music.
The quartet has given many première performances of works of contemporary composers from Günter Bialas to Manfred Trojahn and played premières of recently discovered works of famous past composers:
The Henschel Quartet has worked for the German Music Council and the Siemens Arts Programme and regularly takes part in their programmes at the Goethe Institutes abroad.
The quartet belongs to the select group of guest ensembles who regularly play at the Spanish royal palace in Madrid and perform concerts on the 4 Stradivarius instruments that belong to the palace.
The Henschel Quartet have received noteworthy praise, nominations and awards for their CD recordings of the classical and romantic repertoire with SonyBMG, EMI and Deutsche Grammophon, including:
Since 2007, the quartet has performed 20th century works and made premières recordings for the newly formed CD label NEOS.
Since 1998 the Henschel Quartet has given regular masterclasses at universities and music departments such as MIT, Boston, Dartington College of Arts and Royal Northern College of Music Manchester, England, the University of Melbourne, Australia, and the Tōkyō Geijutsu Daigaku University, Japan.
Moreover, the Henschel Quartet is engaged in exchanges with other ensembles and strives to reach new levels of artistic excellence in chamber music. Together with Franz Preuschoff as the official organiser, the quartet has, since 1997, invited a new colleague ensemble to perform each year in their string festival at the Kloster Seligenstadt.
Since its beginning, the quartet has committed itself to supporting children and young people. The non-profit organisation “Friends of the Henschel Quartet for the promotion of chamber music” has been dedicating itself, since 2001 not only to the support of youth, but also to the expansion of the chamber music scene.
As ambassadors for SOS Children's Villages Association, the Henschel Quartet organises workshops and concerts for children and youth, and have made a CD Recording in aid of the SOS children's villages.[1]