ARISTOS QUARTET

Evelien Jaspers, violin

Wan-Ru Cheng, violin

Sylvain Dessane, viola

Otto Bakker, cello

The Aristos Quartet is an international quartet based in The Hague. It was founded in 2008 by Evelien Jaspers and Otto Bakker. 

After their individual Bachelor studies in The Hague and Rotterdam the members of the Aristos Quartet started studying intensively as a quartet for four years in Amsterdam. In 2015 they were the first quartet to graduate from the new String Quartet Master studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. After this the quartet proceeded their studies with the post-graduate full time programme at the Dutch String Quartet Academy. 

The quartet was regularly coached by Marc Danel, Stefan Metz and Dmitry Ferschtman. Monthly they participated in masterclasses given by profound teachers such as prof. Eberhard Feltz, Luc-Marie Aguera, Peter Cropper and Johannes Meissl. 

By participating in many courses in the Netherlands and abroad, the Aristos Quartet got the opportunity to work with the world’s best chamber music teachers, such as Rainer Schmidt, Heime Müller, Sandor Devich and members of Cuarteto Casals, Danel Quartet, Cuarteto Quiroga, Jerusalem Quartet and Artemis Quartet. 

The Aristos Quartet performed in concerts and festivals in the Netherlands (Grachtenfestival, Festival Classique, Delft Kamermuziekatelier, Zeister Muziekdagen, Orlando Festival), Germany (Internationales Sommerakademie Nordhorn, International Chamber Music Campus Weikersheim), Romania (Tiberius Week), Scotland (Edinburgh Festival), France (ProQuartet foundation) and Spain (International Quartet Academy by Cuarteto Casals). Once or twice a year the quartet performs in mini-tours through France playing in beautiful churches. 

Their broad repertoire is widely ranged; from Boccherini to Janacek, from Sweelinck to Röntgen. In 2016, the composer Carlos Michans wrote his 3rd string quartet ‘Lacrimae’ especially for the Aristos Quartet. In 2018 the quartet travelled to Prague to meet with their mentor Pavel Fischer (Skampa Quartet) working on his quartet “Morava” and other Czech repertoire, which holds a special place in the Aristos quartet’s heart.

The members are very grateful to have received scholarships during their studies from the Dutch String Quartet Academy, the Kersjesfonds and the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds. Since 2018 they are kindly endorsed by Jargar Strings. 

As a young, vibrant and versatile ensemble, the Aristos Quartet aims to share the most intimate and intense form of music making with listeners of all ages and backgrounds around the world!