「驅動這些音樂作品的重要情感驅力，彷彿來自於人類對自由的渴求，以及其人在這段過程中，無法抑制地企求擴展自我限制、尋索存在真理的想望。」

貝爾琪亞四重奏為他們的貝多芬弦樂四重奏全集錄音寫下這樣一段前言，恰如其分地可說是這個四重奏組合的藝術理念。這四位音樂家向來不受傳統框架的限制，原因或許來自於團員間殊異而多采多姿的不同文化背景，為他們動態十足又自由奔放的詮釋風格提供穩固的支撐。1994 年，貝爾琪亞四重奏創立於倫敦的皇家音樂學院，以英國作為演奏活動的根據地。不過樂團本身的兩位創團團員──羅馬尼亞籍的小提琴家柯莉娜．貝爾琪亞（Corina Belcea）以及波蘭籍的中提琴家克里斯多夫．赫雪勒斯基（Krzysztof Chorzelski）──從故鄉帶給樂團獨特而絢麗的東歐演奏藝術傳統；在此同時，樂團也取徑於偉大的弦樂四重奏演奏傳統──阿班貝爾格四重奏以及阿瑪迪斯四重奏的團員，都是貝爾琪亞四重奏重要的音樂導師。在法籍的小提琴家沙赫（Axel Schacher）以及大提琴家雷德林（Antoine Lederlin）加入樂團後，貝爾琪亞四重奏原已相當寬廣的藝術光譜又獲得進一步推展。多采多姿的音樂風格與合奏傳統，在貝爾琪亞四重奏的演奏中獲得自然而完美的揉合，構成該團獨一無二的音樂語彙。

多元而豐富的音樂語彙可見於貝爾琪亞四重奏寬廣的演奏曲目：他們頻繁為現代音樂作品舉行世界首演 —— 其中包括英國當代作曲家馬可－安東尼．圖奈吉（Mark-Anthony Turnage）的弦樂四重奏《扭曲的藍調音樂與怪奇的敘事曲》（Twisted Blues with Twisted Ballad, 2010）以及靈感來自美國詩人希薇亞．普拉斯（Sylvia Plath）同名詩作的《瘀青》（Contusion, 2014）、奧地利當代作曲家湯瑪斯．拉赫爾（Thomas Larcher）的《清醒的夢》（lucid dreams, 2015），以及波蘭偉大作曲家潘德列茨基（Krzysztof Penderecki）的第四號弦樂四重奏（2016）。在首演現代作品的同時，貝爾琪亞四重奏也致力於展現該團和古典時期到浪漫時代那些偉大弦樂四重奏作品的深刻連結。勇於創新、眼界開闊的音樂取徑，讓貝爾琪亞四重奏在演出經典曲目時，總能夠開創那種獨樹一幟、優雅、精練的詮釋方法。貝爾琪亞四重奏固定合作的音樂家包括鋼琴家安德佐夫斯基（Piotr Anderszewski）、費爾納（Till Fellner）、大提琴家爾本（Valentin Erben，阿班貝爾格四重奏的創團元老），以及中提琴家塔梅斯提（Antoine Tamestit）。

這個樂季開始，貝爾琪亞四重奏擔任柏林新落成的皮耶．布列茲音樂廳駐廳四重奏演奏家。而 2010 年開始，他們與阿特密斯四重奏共同擔任維也納音樂廳（Wiener Konzerthaus）的駐團藝術家。

貝爾琪亞四重奏近年來創立「貝爾琪亞四重奏基金會」，主要宗旨是透過一系列根據獲選樂團籌劃的密集教學大師班，為年輕的弦樂四重奏團提供支持與演奏靈感。同時，貝爾琪亞四重奏也會透過這個基金會委託樂壇的重要作曲家創作，並在未來為這些作品進行世界首演，以期支持當代音樂作品。

貝爾琪亞四重奏已出版的錄音數量讓人驚豔：在與 EMI 的長期合作期間，他們錄下了布列頓以及巴爾托克的弦樂四重奏全集，以及舒伯特、布拉姆斯、莫札特、德布西、拉威爾、杜替耶等作曲家的作品。2012 年與 2013 年間，貝爾琪亞四重奏在著名的英國薩福克郡史納普鎮的班雅明．布列頓錄音室（Benjamin Britten Studio，原為19世紀建造的麥芽發酵廠，後來在布列頓的規劃下改造為專門為室內樂演奏團體設計的音樂廳），以現場演奏的方式錄下整套貝多芬弦樂四重奏，由 ZigZag Territories發行。這套貝多芬弦樂四重奏錄音獲得熱烈的迴響，更獲頒 2013 年德國古典回聲唱片大獎（the ECHO Klassik Award）。2015 年，適逢貝爾琪亞四重奏的創團 20 週年，他們錄製魏本、貝爾格、荀白克這三位 20 世紀初維也納第二樂派重要作曲家的弦樂四重奏作品，再度獲得熱烈好評。2016 年 9 月，貝爾琪亞四重奏發行全本布拉姆斯弦樂四重奏與鋼琴五重奏作品的錄音，唱片評論皆讚譽有加，再度獲德國古典回聲唱片獎項肯定之餘，更獲頒法國權威古典音樂雜誌 Diapason 的最高榮譽金音叉獎（Diapason d’or）。

2012 年，貝爾琪亞四重奏在維也納音樂廳演奏的全本貝多芬弦樂四重奏系列演奏會由 Mezzo TV 轉播，目前也已於 2014 年秋天由 Euroarts 出版 DVD 與藍光版本。這份發行同時附有由法國導演 Jean-Claude Mocik 所執導、記錄貝爾琪亞四重奏這個貝多芬全集演奏計畫的紀錄片《尋找貝多芬》。

在 2017/18 樂季，貝爾琪亞四重奏預定將於倫敦威格摩爾音樂廳、科隆愛樂音樂廳、阿姆斯特丹大會堂音樂廳、首爾樂天音樂廳（the Lotte Hall）、巴黎愛樂音樂廳，以及柏林布列茲音樂廳等多處知名演奏廳登台演出。在 2018/19 樂季，貝爾琪亞四重奏的演奏曲目將會特別著墨於 21 世紀的當代作品：英國當代重要作曲才俊 Joseph Phibbs 為弦樂四重奏創作的新作品，將會是貝爾琪亞弦樂四重奏該樂季的演奏曲目主軸。

“What seems to be the predominant impulse driving this music is man’s yearning for freedom, the unquenchable desire to expand his limits and to learn the truth about himself in this process.”

What the Belcea Quartet writes in the preface to its recording of the complete Beethoven String Quartets could also be described as their artistic creed. These musicians are not confined by traditional boundaries. It is perhaps the very fact of their diverse cultural backgrounds that is behind their dynamic and free interpretative style. Founded at the Royal College of Music in London in 1994, the quartet is based in Great Britain. However, the Romanian violinist Corina Belcea and the Polish violist Krzysztof Chorzelski, the two founder members, bring a very different artistic provenance to the ensemble while drawing from the best traditions of string quartet playing received from the quartet’s mentors: the members of the Alban Berg and Amadeus Quartets. This spectrum is extended by the French musicians Axel Schacher (violin) and Antoine Lederlin (violoncello). The Belcea Quartet blends its diverse influences into a common musical language.

This diversity is reflected in the Belcea Quartet’s repertoire. Regular world premieres – among them Mark-Anthony Turnage’s string quartets „Twisted Blues with Twisted Ballad“ in 2010, „Contusion“ in 2014, Thomas Larcher’s „lucid dreams“ in 2015, as well as Krzysztof Penderecki’s 4th string quartet in 2016, go hand-in-hand with its profound connection with the great works of the Classical and Romantic periods. The quartet’s open-minded approach to music invariably enables it to find its own unique, elegant and refined interpretations of the main string quartet repertoire. The quartet’s regular partners include Piotr Anderszewski, Till Fellner, Valentin Erben and Antoine Tamestit.

From this season on, the Belcea Quartet is the Quartet Artist-in-Residence at the new Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin. The quartet has shared a residence at the Wiener Konzerthaus with the Artemis Quartet since 2010.

The musicians recently created their very own Belcea Quartet Trust, whose main aims are to support and inspire young string quartets through series of intensive coaching sessions organized according to the needs of each selected ensemble, as well as to support commissioning of new works from today’s leading composers to be premiered by the quartet in the future.

The Belcea Quartet has an impressive discography. During its long-term association with EMI Classics, the quartet recorded the complete Britten and Bartók quartets as well as works by Schubert, Brahms, Mozart, Debussy, Ravel and Dutilleux, amongst others. In 2012 and 2013, the quartet recorded the complete Beethoven quartets live in the Benjamin Britten Studio in Snape. This recording was released under ZigZag Territories, the quartet’s new label. As with its predecessors, this CD has been met with critical acclaim: it has been recognized with such prizes as the ECHO Klassik Award. In 2015, the quartet released its highly acclaimed recording of works by Webern, Berg and Schoenberg to coincide with its 20th jubilee. September 2016 saw the release of the quartet’s recording of the complete Brahms string quartets & piano quintet, a CD acclaimed by the press and awarded with an Echo Classic as well as a Diapason d’or of the year 2016.

The Belcea Quartet’s performances of the complete Beethoven string quartets at Vienna’s Konzerthaus in 2012 were broadcast by Mezzo TV and were released – on DVD and Blue Ray disk – by the label Euroarts in fall 2014. The release was accompanied by Jean-Claude Mocik’s documentary of the entire project, “Looking for Beethoven”.

In 2017/2018, the quartet will perform in such venues as London’s Wigmore Hall, the Kölner Philharmonie, the Muziekgebouw Amsterdam, the Lotte Hall in Seoul, the Philharmonie de Paris and the Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin for three concerts. The music of the 21st century will feature prominently in their 2018/2019 programs: the centerpiece will be the world premiere of a new string quartet by Joseph Phibbs.