Irene Chen & Arola Quartet
Clarinet quintet
The refined artistry of Taiwanese clarinettist Irene Chen meets the vibrant energy of the young Arola Quartet in a clarinet quintet of remarkable clarity and emotional depth.
The collaboration between the experienced clarinettist and the young quartet brings a rare combination of fine musical understanding and fresh interpretive energy to the chamber music stage. Their performances are marked by stylistic clarity, warmth and a deep sense of musical dialogue – qualities that have already delighted audiences in Switzerland.
Known for her lyrical tone and expressive depth, Irene Chen gives the quintet a steady foundation with her calm, elegant presence – beautifully complemented by the youthful drive and finely tuned ensemble playing of the Arola Quartet.
Their interpretations of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581, and a lively arrangement of Verdi’s La Traviata show the ensemble’s versatility – equally at home in classical elegance and operatic drama. Ideal for chamber music series as well as cross-genre programmes.
Programme
- J. S. Bach – “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” from the cantata “Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben”, BWV 147
- M. Ravel – String Quartet in F major
- D. Lovreglio – Fantasia da concerto on themes from “La Traviata”
- W. A. Mozart – Clarinet Quintet in A major, K. 581
The Arola Quartet
The Arola Quartet was founded in Bern in May 2024 by four musicians who met while studying at the Bern University of the Arts. The quartet has won gold at the American Classical Music Awards in New York and silver at the Premio Annarosa Taddei in Rome, and has performed at TivoliVredenburg Utrecht, Künstlerhaus Boswil and the Stauffer Academy in Cremona. Masterclasses with David Finckel, Wu Han, Marc Danel, Gerhard Schulz and the Jerusalem Quartet shape its development; its mentors include Patrick Jüdt, Corina Belcea and the Quartetto di Cremona.
