Alma Quartet was formed in 2014 and quickly gained reputation as one of the most thrilling ensembles in Holland. Their debut album: Schulhoff Complete String Quartets has received stellar international praise. The Gramophone claimed 'this set shoots straight to the top' and also admired the quartet for being 'capable of the most seductive playing.'
The album was chosen for the 2017 Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik "Bestenliste" and was also featured on German national radio station SWR2, hailing Alma's Schulhoff cycle as the 'new reference recording.'
Their latest album: The Late Quartets Vol.1 with Shostakovich String Quartet No.11 and Beethoven String Quartet No.12 garnered acclaim from Spanish magazine Ritmo with a 5-star review stating: 'the publications of the Alma Quartet are an example to follow. A great first CD.'
French magazine Diapason writes: 'Alma Quartet imbues [Shostakovich] with mysterious and undeniably poetic tones.'
Dutch magazine Luister gives the album one of the highest points claiming it's 'striking, robust and flawless.' And finally The American Record Guide is exceptionally generous in stating: 'as much as we may still love our old recordings, it's difficult to argue there are not many present-day groups as good as or BETTER than those old ensembles. The Alma Quartet is in the latter group.'
Korngold String Quartet No.1 | Piano Quintet with Severin von Eckardstein for Challenge Records received the prestigious Diapason d'Or in France and was the winner of the album of the year 2024 in the category chamber music of the renowned Associazione Nazionale Critici Musicali in Italy.
It has also been exceptionally well received by The Gramophone claiming there is a ‘[…] superb polish of the playing, a sense of freshness, discovery and sheer joy that leaps out from this recording’ as well as ‘this is intensely characterful playing that never sounds mannered – complex without becoming congested.’
Italian magazine Classic Voice gives the album 5 stars and says: 'The passionate interpretation restores all its communicative strength.'
De Volkskrant states: ‘Alma Quartet plays Korngold the way he would’ve wanted, slippery and insane.' On top of that Belgian newspaper De Standaard claims that ‘Alma Quartet knows how to capture the soul of Korngold.’
BBC Music Magazine writes: 'there's inventiveness and a sense of adventure in these burnished performances - utterly refined, yet warm and tender too.'
And ultimately the American Record Guide says: 'I might as well admit that the album sounds phenomenal.'
Korngold String Quartets Nos. 2-3 was recorded direct-to-disc without editing and has been ranked among the Top40 best albums of 2021 by De Volkskrant claiming 'Alma Quartet plays Korngold with a touch of soft nostalgia.'
De Standaard gave it a 5-star review claiming 'the Amsterdam foursome plays formidable [...]' and 'the result sounds as thrilling as a live concert.'
BBC Radio 3 celebrated their 'uncompromising and emphatic performance style' as well as saying that it's 'like close-up magic, listening to this.'
NRC Handelsblad stated that 'the foursome [...] shows the listener in one go the most beautiful flowers along the deepest abysses' and Het Parool praised the quartet for their 'enchanting masters level playing' and finds that 'the result commands great admiration.'
Spanish magazine Ritmo gave it 5 stars and claimed their recording is 'the best available [...] for understanding the expressive world of Korngold.'
As well as performing the classical repertoire, the quartet is keen on collaborating with artists of other genres such as singer-songwriter Nana Adjoa, composer Sarah Neutkens, big band New Cool Collective with which they released Opus 127, an EP containing jazz variations on Beethoven's twelfth string quartet and composer and jazz pianist Rembrandt Frerichs with whom they released Piano Concertos Nos. 1-2 of which De Volkskrant stated they play '[...] with a lot of flair and finesse.'
The quartet has recorded for a number of labels including Sony Classical, Universal Music, BIS Records, Challenge Records, Gutman Records and TRPTK. They've also collaborated with techno producer Henrik Schwarz on a multitude of projects.
On their album CCMYK, they explore the possibilities of seamlessly fusing newly composed electronic and classical music into a new language.
The quartet has performed at prestigious concert halls in Germany, Spain, Japan, China, Hungary, Netherlands and Turkey including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Oji Hall Ginza Tokyo, Kyoto Concert Hall, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Müpa Budapest, Konzerthaus Berlin, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, De Doelen Rotterdam, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ Amsterdam, Sociedad Filarmónica de Bilbao, Süreyya Opera House Istanbul, Tianjin Grand Theatre, Harbin Concert Hall, Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall, as well as clubs and theaters such as Jazz Cafe London, Philharmonie Haarlem, Diligentia Den Haag, Volksbühne Berlin, Temple Beijing, Musis Arnhem, Paradiso Amsterdam, Bimhuis and Kulturbrauerei Berlin.
They have played during captivating events and festivals such as String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam, Schiermonnikoog Festival, Schumannfest Düsseldorf, Festival Salon-de-Provence, Amsterdam Dance Event, XJazz Festival Berlin, Down The Rabbit Hole, Beyond the Pale Festival Ireland, Pop-Kultur Festival Berlin, Theater Spektakel Zurich and TEDx Amsterdam.
Alma Quartet has collaborated with diverse artists such as Klaus Mäkelä, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Lisa Batiashvili, Martin Fröst, Denis Kozhukhin, Amihai Grosz, Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, Samuel Adams, Milica Djordjevic, Jörgen van Rijen, Hauschka, Julien Libeer, Lavinia Meijer, Ramon van Engelenhoven, Bugge Wesseltoft, Su Yeon Kim, Frank Braley, Mahsa Vahdat, Alma Sadé, Nicolas van Poucke, Ella van Poucke, Dominic Seldis, Nino Gvetadze and Frank Lammers.
2nd violin
Benjamin Peled, originally from Chicago, was appointed to the first violin section of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam, in 2006. In addition to serving as a guest concertmaster for the Staatskapelle Berlin and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, both under the baton of Daniel Barenboim, he has also led as a concertmaster for the Houston Symphony, and Iris Orchestra in Memphis, TN.
A regular guest with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Peled was a member of the Grant Park Symphony in Chicago, and has joined the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Aspen Chamber and Festival Orchestras, and the New World Symphony in concert as well. Since his appointment to the RCO, Peled has had many opportunities to perform as a chamber music partner with principal players from orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the RCO, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
He has appeared in various mixed chamber ensembles throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, including in the Jerusalem International Chamber Music Festival, The Upper Galilee Voice of Music Festival in Kfar Blum, the Talis Festival Saas-Fee Switzerland, the Seoul Arts Center, Hamarikyu-Asahi Hall Tokyo, and in the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw. He completed a Bachelor and Master of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), where he was a student of Paul Kantor and William Preucil, respectively.
A founding member of the Amsterdam-based Alma Quartet, Peled plays on a violin by J.B. Vuillaume on generous loan from the Stichting Donateurs Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest.
Viola
Widely known as a chamber musician, violist Jeroen Woudstra is recognized for his brilliant technique and musicality. Over the last twenty years he has become a regular guest with many of the world’s great musicians including Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Nobuko Imai, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Alexander Kerr and Lisa Batiashvili, amongst many others.
Also, Jeroen Woudstra appears as a soloist with several orchestras. His most recent solo performance has been in Holland under the baton of Jaap van Zweden and he can be found on several recordings on Gutman Records covering a wide swath of the chamber music literature.
Though widely acclaimed as a performer, Woudstra’s teaching has been an inspiration to many students through his passion for music. He has given masterclasses at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Academy, Penn State University, Buenos Aires University, Eastman School of Music and Seoul University.
Woudstra joined the viola section of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2000 and plays a viola built by J. Lefèbvre from the instrument collection of the orchestra donors’ foundation Stichting Donateurs.
Cello
Dutch cellist Joris van den Berg is a versatile and accomplished musician whose artistry is marked by a distinctive personal sound, intelligent and warm musicality, and a commanding presence on stage. He pursued his musical education at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Quirine Viersen and Godfried Hoogeveen. He continued his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester under Ralph Kirshbaum and Gary Hoffman and further advanced his training at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne with Frans Helmerson. Graduating with highest honors, he earned the prestigious Gold Medal in performance as well as an International Artist Diploma from the Royal Northern College of Music.
Joris van den Berg made his Concertgebouw Amsterdam debut with Amsterdam Sinfoniëtta under David Geringas after winning first prize at the 2006 Dutch National Cello Competition. Alongside pianist Martijn Willers, he won a prize at the 2008 International Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria. He received the Dutch Classical Talent Award 2014, leading to a recital tour in major Dutch concert halls, including the Concertgebouw. Together with Olivier Patey, principal clarinet of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, they form the Trio Légende.
Chamber music is a significant aspect of Mr. Van den Berg’s career. He performs with various ensembles both in the Netherlands and internationally, collaborating with musicians such as Daniel Hope, Philippe Graffin, and Gary Hoffman. He has played concertos with The Hague Residentie Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the Symphony Orchestra of Flanders, Amsterdam Sinfoniëtta, and Camerata Amsterdam.
Mr. van den Berg joined the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2017 and became Associate Solo Cellist in 2023. He has also been a guest principal cellist with orchestras such as the Oslo Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and SWR Symphony Orchestra.
Joris van den Berg performs on a Giovanni Grancino cello (1703), which has been generously provided by the Dutch National Musical Instrument Foundation.
1st violin
Marc Daniel van Biemen is among Holland’s most established concert artists. Described by The New York Times as ‘a dynamic and brilliantly virtuosic violinist’, he has won 2nd prize at the Oskar Back Violin Competition, a special prize at the Fritz Kreisler Violin Competition and was the recipient of the 2014 'Prix de Salon'. He has played solo with orchestras and ensembles such as the Orchestra Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Limburg Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra under Jaap van Zweden, The Hague Youth Orchestra, Royal Conservatory Orchestra of The Hague, Jonge Strijkers and Camerata RCO.
At age 24, Marc Daniel joined the first violin section of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra after completing the Orchestra Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker. He has served as guest concertmaster of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Verbier Festival Orchestra and the Yale Philharmonia in Carnegie Hall under Krzysztof Penderecki and Reinbert de Leeuw.
He has collaborated with artists such as Klaus Mäkelä, Leonidas Kavakos, Lisa Batiashvili, Janine Jansen, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Murray Perahia, Leif Ove Andsnes, Torleif Thedéen, Andreas Ottensammer, Martin Fröst, Henrik Schwarz and Hauschka. He is the leader of Camerata RCO as well as the founder and first violinist of the Alma Quartet.
Marc Daniel received his first musical lessons from his father Wybo van Biemen as well as Koosje van Haeringen at the young talent class of The Hague Conservatory. He then continued studying privately with Jaap van Zweden and Herman Krebbers. In 2005 he went to study with Sidney Harth at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and in 2007 he was accepted at the Yale School of Music where he received his Certificate in Performance with Syoko Aki.
He plays on a Nicolò Amati, Cremona 1666 and is the author of two books Violist and Essentiële stukken, about classical music published by Thomas Rap in the Netherlands.