Jan Talich Jr. violin | Roman Patočka violin
Radim Sedmidubský viola | Michal Kaňka cello

The Talich Quartet, a group of musicians who are held in high regard and are considered to be one of the best string quartets, has been an emblem of the finest Czech musical tradition for numerous decades. Founded back in 1964 by none other than Jan Talich Sr. during his spell at the prestigious Prague Conservatory, the quartet was given the name of his uncle, the world-renowned chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic from 1919 to 1939, Václav Talich.

In the 1990s, a gradual and total shift in generations occurred in the quartet, which brought in a fresh lease of life to the ensemble while maintaining its rich heritage in concert and recording activities. It was then that Jan Talich Jr., the son of the founder, took up the mantle of the first violin.

The Talich Quartet has been a regular on the world stage, performing on many of the biggest podiums and taking part in global festivals. Their performance at prominent venues like the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York, le Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the illustrious Salle Gaveau in Paris, London’s famous Wigmore Hall, and Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam have garnered significant acclaim.

 The quartet has an awe-inspiring collection of studio recordings and CDs. Even in the current formation, the Talich Quartet has made a mark by recording most of the repertoire of Smetana, Dvořák, and Janáček. Their recording of Janáček’s two quartets was extolled by the authoritative Gramophone magazine and even received a nomination for the Best Chamber Music Recording in 2006. The complete recording of Felix Mendelssohn’s quartet works, which was made available on the Calliope label from 2001 to 2004, was bestowed with immense recognition.

In the year 2022, the quartet launched a CD which contained a fresh recording of Dvořák’s American Quartet, paired with his rarely performed Quartet Movement in F Major and eight waltzes, Op. 54. Dvořák originally composed these waltzes for the piano, but the composer himself arranged two of them for strings. The Talich Quartet has now come forward with a refreshing interpretation and the first-ever recording of the complete work for string quartet, which has been arranged by the distinguished composer Jiří Kabát.