Swiss Global Artistic Foundation

Girolamo Bottiglieri (Italy) 1^st violin
Raya Raytcheva (Bulgaria) 2^nd violin
Caroline Haas (Switzerland) viola
François Grin (Switzerland) cello

Founded in 1997 in Geneva, the Terpsycordes Quartet received First Prize and the Special Prize for the best interpretation of a 20^th century work at the 2001 Geneva International Music Competition. They have won prizes at other international chamber music competitions, including the Trapani Competition in 2000, the Weimar Competition in 2002 and the Graz Competition in 2003.

The Terpsycordes Quartet studied with Gabor Takacs-Nagy at the Geneva Conservatoire, obtaining a string quartet First Prize in Virtuosity in 2001. The same year, they were admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris for postgraduate study in the class of Jean Mouillère of the Via Nova Quartet.

They have participated in master classes given by Sandor Devich (Budapest String Quartet), Milan Skampa (Smetana Quartet), Franco Rossi (Italiano Quartet), Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet), Christophe Coin (Mosaiques Quartet), Walter Levin (Lasalle Quartet), members of the Amadeus Quartet, the violinist Sigiswald Kuijken, the cellist Gary Hoffman and the composer Gyorgy Kurtag. They studied the classical repertoire on period instruments with Florence Malgoire in Geneva at the Center for Ancient Music and are members of the ProQuartet program in Paris.

The Terpsycordes Quartet has performed at festivals and on concert series in Switzerland and abroad. They have collaborated with such artists as Paul Meyer, Alexander Lonquich, Raphael Oleg, Michael Sanderling, Augustin Dumay, Franck Braley, Jos van Immersel and Patrick Demenga. They regularly give radio broadcasts and made their television debut in 2002.

The Terpsycordes Quartet enjoys the support of the Swiss Cultural Foundation Pro-Helvetia, the Loterie Romande, the Swiss Cultural Fund in Britain and the Suisse Global Artistic Foundation. It has recorded the three quartets by Schumann for Claves Records with the support of the City and State of Geneva.

Girolamo Bottiglieri was born in Salerno in 1974. After completing his studies at the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome with G. Leone at the age of 18, he joined C. Romano's class at the Geneva Conservatory where he obtained First Prize in Virtuosity in 1997. Further studies followed with S. Accardo in Cremona.

Mr Bottiglieri has won several prizes at international competitions, including the Lampronti Prize as best Italian violinist at the Lipizer International competition in 1998. He has performed as soloist with various orchestras, including the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. As a chamber musician he has played throughout Europe in collaboration with R. Kussmaul, E. Pahud, the Ensemble Contrechamps in Geneva and the Salzburger Solisten. He has also worked with composers G. Kurtag and S. Gubaidulina. Girolamo Bottiglieri plays a violin made by Cesare Candi (Genova 1930), belonging to the Lalive Foundation, Geneva.

Raya Raytcheva was born at Pleven (Bulgaria) in 1976. In 1992, she came to Switzerland to study at the Crans Violin High School, assisted by a scholarship from the Kayaleh Foundation. She subsequently joined M. Piguet-Karafilova's class at the Geneva Conservatoire and obtained First Prize in Virtuosity in 2000.

Ms Raytcheva has received several prizes at national and international competitions, including the Swiss Youth Music Competition and the Stresa International Competition. She has performed as soloist with Swiss and Bulgarian orchestras, and played in Switzerland, France, Belgium and Bulgaria as an orchestral and chamber musician. She plays a violin by Paul Audinot (Paris), belonging to the Lalive Foundation, Geneva.

Caroline Haas was born in 1975 in Geneva. She began studying at the Geneva Conservatory in 1996, obtaining a soloist diploma in N. Pache's class. She has attended master classes with C. Romano, A. Brussilowsky, F. Kirch, F. Malgoire, B. Giuranna and M-A. Nicolas.

Ms Haas has performed in Europe with chamber music ensembles, collaborating with musicians such as R. Kussmaul, E. Pahud and F. Pettrachi. She has been part of several world premiere creations and she has worked with composers G. Kurtag and H. Holliger. She has played as principal violist in orchestras under the G. Garrido and E. Krivine. Caroline Haas also plays baroque viola with the Ensemble Elyma.

François Grin was born in 1969 in Washington DC. His family returned to Switzerland and he received his first musical training in Lausanne at the age of seven, with C. Henneberger. He went on to study with G. Fallot and D. Grosgurin at the Geneva Conservatoire, where he obtained a diploma in cello with a special prize and the First Prize in Virtuosity. A scholarship allowed him then to attend postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he earned the Diploma of Advanced Studies in the class of D. Cummings. He has also taken part in master classes with L. Harrell, M. Lidstroem and J. Starker.

Mr Grin performs mainly as a chamber musician, collaborating with musicians such as A. Gerecz, H. Beyerle, W. Levin, F. Droujinin and C. Elton. He plays a cello by Pressenda (Torino 1841), belonging to the Henneberger-Mercier Foundation.

For more information on the Terpsycordes Quartet please visit www.terpsycordes.com.