Reflecting on the 2026 String Biennale in Amsterdam
News | February 23, 2026
By Liv Martin, Communications Manager, Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra is a partner of MERITA – where chamber music, cultural hERItage and TAlent meet.
On a cold, rainy and characteristically rainy winter afternoon in Amsterdam, witnessing the premiere of the ADAM Quartet’s program, Future Echoes, felt like a breath of fresh air in the middle of spring.
The performance of the quartet, comprised of Margot Kolodziej and Julia Kleinsmann, violin, Minna Svedberg, viola, and Renée Timmer, cello, performing with soprano Elisabeth Hetherington, took place on 28 January 2026 in the Main Hall of Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ during the Amsterdam String Quartet Biennale.
Set on a dimly lit stage with four hanging orbs overhead, the concert began with “Musica dei donum optimi’ the work of late-Renaissance composer Orlando di Lasso, Elisabeth Hetherington’s clear and sparkling voice soared over the rich harmonies of the strings. Di Lasso was followed by two pieces by another late-Renaissance composer, Vincenzo Galilei.
Then, sandwiched in between the lush Renaissance music, the ADAM Quartet ingeniously placed Arnold Schönberg’s String Quartet No. 2 for a complete switch in pace and vibe. All of a sudden, the pastorale and melodic scene the audience had been transported into turned to an atonal landscape interspersed with haunting, anxiety-inducing passages.
Throughout the programme, a projected circle with different imagery brought the audience into a different world — from dense greenery that made one think of laying down in the field in summertime to swirling metallic otherworldly shapes during the Schönberg. This contrast kept the programme fresh and unique, while consistently playing with the juxtaposition of sound and the light show on stage.
After Talk: Developing new quartet talent
Following the concert, members of the ADAM Quartet and Karski Quartet, and representatives of the MERITA platform sat down to discuss how artistic development, heritage and innovation come together within this European network.
Bianca Traxler, Executive Director of Le Dimore del Quartetto, explained how one of the MERITA Platform’s core missions is inspiring its ensembles to think outside of the box — a part of the experience that the ADAM’s Quartet has certainly taken to heart.
“The MERITA Platform was born with many missions, but one of the central ones was the one for musicians… the idea of creating a space for musicians to develop, experiment and find their own identity. Not all groups want the same thing, but if there is only one way to perform, then there is no possibility for the ensemble to discover how, what, when and to whom — which format — so an idea around MERITA is experimenting”, Traxler said.
On a similar note, Chiara Borghese, Project Coordinator of the MERITA Platform, underlined how encouraging innovation from its ensembles is at the core of the MERITA Platform.
“Our goal is to bring music into news places, for new audiences, and also in an innovative way. We are offering projects that talk about different topics — from nature to social topics.”
Borghese also highlighted how MERITA supports ensembles through every step of the process, from developing a project to getting the necessary support for it to flourish.
“MERITA gives ensembles a path that begins from the ideation of the project to testing the project, and then also having the opportunity to play and perform. After that, the path isn’t finished, because all of the projects remain on the platform and ready to be sold to concert organizers or people that want to host them”, she said.