12-11-2005

Founded in Québec in 2001, the Cartier Quartet is considered one of Canada’s most promising ensembles, with the quality of their performance being noted on an international scale. The Cartier string quartet consists of violinists Caroline Béchard and Benoit Cormier, violist Annie Morrier and cellist Suzanne Villeneuve.

The four musicians have developed their vast chamber music repertoire motivated to become one of Québec’s foremost quartets. This approach led to the establishment of their annual four-concert series in 2002 at the Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur, where the quartet is in residence. The first season was warmly welcomed by appreciative audiences, as have subsequent years. Each of the concerts is given by the quartet and their guests. They produced many classical groups since 2003.

Since its founding, the Cartier Quartet has built a solid reputation in Québec culture, praised by Le Soleil for it’s  “... original shimmering effect and very beautiful quest for tone colour” and have brought their unique sound across Canada, playing with the Lowe-Beaubien duo in Montréal. They have also performed in London, Ottawa, Saguenay, and Rivière-de-loup and Sept-Îles. In addition, the quartet’s international destinations have recently included France and Holland.

Another high-point was the recent, February 2003 recording of a CD of music by Canadian composer Oleksa Losowchuk.

All the Cartier Quartet musicians are members of the Québec Symphony and are in residence at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec.