Quatuor Saguenay (Alcan)

Composed of violinists Marie Bégin and Nathalie Camus, violist Luc Beauchemin, and cellist David Ellis, the Saguenay Quartet enjoys an unequivocal reputation for excellence in Canada and abroad. Its originality, infectious enthusiasm, unique sound, and remarkable cohesion have contributed to building an enviable reputation, both on stage and in recordings.

The four instrumentalists of the Quartet also hold principal positions in their respective sections of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Symphony Orchestra. After more than 25 years as the Alcan Quartet, its record of achievements is impressive: nearly 1,000 concerts in Europe, Asia, and North America; some 100 radio broadcasts (CBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Public Broadcasting System (USA), Radio France, etc.); numerous television appearances; some 15 recordings; and frequent premieres of new works.

The Saguenay Quartet’s extensive discography (released as the Alcan Quartet) includes major works from the string quartet repertoire, including pieces by Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Dvořák, Debussy, and Borodin. The complete Beethoven quartets were added in 2015. The quartet’s recordings have received critical acclaim, particularly in the United States and Europe.

The Quartet was awarded the Opus Prize for Disc of the Year for its recording of Schubert’s Quartets and a Félix Prize in 2011 for Mathieu — Trio & Quintet, recorded with Alain and David Lefèvre.