The 65th Festival de Pollença reached another high point this week as the internationally acclaimed Quartet Ébène performed an evening dedicated entirely to Beethoven at the Claustre de Santo Domingo.
The French string quartet, considered one of the leading ensembles in the world, performed to a strong audience in the historic setting, delivering a programme that explored three very different stages of Beethoven’s chamber music.
The concert was another highlight of this year’s festival, which continues to attract internationally recognised musicians to Pollença throughout the summer.
An Evening Dedicated to Beethoven
The programme offered a journey through Beethoven’s development as a composer, beginning with his String Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 18. The piece reflects Beethoven’s more classical beginnings, with Quartet Ébène bringing a clear and balanced sound to the four instruments.
The mood changed considerably with the String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95, known as the “Quartetto serioso”. The shorter but intensely dramatic work allowed the musicians to explore a much more powerful and expressive side of Beethoven’s music.
After the interval, the evening concluded with String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59/2, known as the “Razumovsky”.
The performance of the Molto Adagio was particularly well received, while the energetic finale, drawing on Russian themes, brought the evening to a close with one of the strongest ovations of this year’s festival. The quartet returned to the stage several times following the audience’s response.
Who Are Quartet Ébène?
Quartet Ébène was formed by Pierre Colombet on violin, Gabriel Le Magadure on violin, Marie Chilemme on viola and Yuya Okamoto on cello.
Since achieving major success at the ARD Competition in 2004, the French ensemble has performed around the world and worked with some of the leading names in classical music.
The quartet is known not only for its interpretation of traditional classical repertoire, but also for its versatility across different styles.
At the Claustre de Santo Domingo, that combination of technical precision and distinctive sound provided a fitting setting for an evening centred on one of classical music’s most important composers.
The Festival Continues
With Quartet Ébène now added to the highlights of the 65th edition, the Festival de Pollença is entering the final stages of its 2026 programme.
There are still four major performances to come:
15 August: Freiburger Barockorchester with soprano Jeanine De Bique
19 August: Pianist Seong-Jin Cho
22 August: Les Muffatti, presenting a programme of early music
30 August: Sir Mark Elder and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana for the festival’s grand symphonic finale.
The festival is recommending advance ticket purchases, with strong demand continuing during its 65th anniversary edition. You can purhcase tickets here: https://festivalpollenca.com/en/tickets/
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