About us

The Otilka Quartet, a dynamic and international ensemble of four curious musicians, was born from a shared passion for classical music and the intention to push the boundaries of the traditional string quartet. In addition to performing the standard repertoire, the quartet experiments with works by lesser-known composers.
Founded in September 2020 at the prestigious Conservatorium van Amsterdam, this string quartet has quickly established itself as a promising ensemble in the world of chamber music. The Otilka Quartet consists of four highly talented musicians: Iris van Nuland, Lucien Renette, Francisca Galante, and Stefano Bruno.

Their journey began under the mentorship of renowned musicians including Dmitri Ferschtman, Peter Brunt, and Ed Spanjaard, who all played a significant role in shaping their artistic identity by providing them with the right tools and support. They are now receiving lessons from Judith van Driel (Dudok Quartet) and Sven Tepl.
They also had the opportunity of working with Nobuko Imai, William Coleman (violist in Kuss Quartet), Marc Danel (violinist in Quatuor Danel) and Simone Gramaglia (violist in Quartetto di Cremona).

One of the highlights of their repertoire is Hans Henkemans’ Second String Quartet, a composition that had remained hidden and unknown for more than 90 years. To this day, the Otilka Quartet remains the only string quartet to include this remarkable piece in their repertoire. They are also familiar with works by composers such as J. Röntgen, W. Pijper, H. Stam, P. Schat, T. de Leeuw, T. Marco, E. Raxach, E. Schulhoff and J.B. Santos.

This repertoire selection, combined with the intrinsic qualities of the quartet, has drawn the attention of TV and radio stations such as Podium Klassiek, NPO Klassiek, and the Concertzender. Various audio and video recordings can be found under Agenda, Past events and on the Media page.
Based in the Netherlands, the Otilka Quartet continues to captivate audiences with their fresh perspective on the world of classical music.