Dancing with Strings: The Sonoro Quartet and Merita Project Redefine Chamber Music

Stories | May 7, 2025

In an invigorating union of tradition and innovation, the Sonoro Quartet is breathing new life into classical music by collaborating with the Merita Project, a European Union co-funded platform that connects musicians, mentors, historic buildings, and concert promoters. Merging music and movement, the quartet is revolutionizing the classical concert experience by fusing string quartet concerts with contemporary dance in intimate historic settings.

An International Quartet with a Nomadic Spirit

Formed four years ago, the Sonoro Quartet has evolved into an diverse, worldwide group. It started as an ensemble of four Belgian musicians, but today, it includes Seamus (viola, Ireland), Jeroen (second violin, Belgium), Sarah (violin, France), and Léo (cello, France). Living in various cities, Paris, Ghent, and Amsterdam, they only come together in different European cities for rehearsals, embracing cultural and artistic encounter. “Each session gives us a new taste of a different city and culture,” the members note, adding a dynamic rhythm to their artistic collaboration.

Source: Sonoro Quartet

The Merita Project: Where Heritage Meets Innovation

The Sonoro Quartet’s participation in Merita was the outcome of an open call initiated by the Dutch String Quartet Academy, one of the partners on the project. Dedicated to reviving Europe’s classical music tradition, Merita gave the quartet the chance to venture into new dimensions of artistry. The path they have chosen: the fusion of music and contemporary dance to explore new ways of expression and interaction with the audience.
At its core is Béla Bartók’s 5th String Quartet, with its intricate rhythms and folk influences, alongside Joseph Haydn, the “father of the string quartet.” Together, these two composers, one from the present day, one from centuries past, form a powerful narrative that crosses centuries, tied together by the common language of dance.

Dancing the Invisible: A New Concert Experience

Instead of traditional staging, Sonoro’s performances take place in tiny, old buildings, such as the one in Athens – a museum filled to the brim with art and history. The cozy venues allow for more interaction between dancers, musicians, and audience members. A different variety of contemporary dancer appears at every performance, improvising to the music, making every show a new experience.
“We didn’t want to go with traditional forms,” says Sarah. “It’s not about doing a minuet to Haydn or a Bulgarian folk dance to Bartók. We leave the dancer free to interpret what the music makes them want to do.”

This process breaks down the disciplinary divisions. The musicians are not merely accompanying the dancers, nor the dancers – the musicians. The process is mutual, improvisational, and symbiotic. The dancer is a physical realization of the intangible movement of the music, while the musicians allow the dancer’s interpretation to influence their own.

A Shared Journey for Audience and Artists

By combining two wonderful art forms, Sonoro Quartet aims to unveil the audience for classical music. To those unfamiliar with Bartók’s rich quartets, dance’s visual vocabulary offers an entry. To those who like modern dance, Haydn and Bartók’s rich textures offer new soundscapes. “There’s no hierarchy,” affirms Seamus. “We want to share the focus, dance doesn’t just describe the music, it amplifies it. And the music gives body to the dance.”
With every performance uniquely shaped by the dancer’s improvisation and space itself, no two concerts are ever the same. The ensemble views this ongoing dialogue between movement and sound as a shared experience – one that encourages listeners to stay present, engaged, and emotionally connected.

Reviving the Soul of Music through Movement

As the Sonoro Quartet points out, the history of music and dance is deeply intertwined. “In the early days, music was made to make people dance,” Jeroen shares. “Even Baroque music was mostly inspired by dances. Maybe music wouldn’t exist the way it does now if dance hadn’t been there first.”
This project doesn’t just revisit that intersection, it renews it, offering audiences a contemporary experience that is both timeless and profoundly human. In an era where attention is short-lived and obstacles are many, the Sonoro Quartet and Merita Project show that where music and movement meet, something profoundly resonant and beautifully new is born.