Sebastian Gürtler, 1.Violine
Régis Bringolf, 2.Violine
Gertrud Weinmeister, Viola
Florian Berner, Violoncello

Within just a few short years the Hugo Wolf Quartet has developed itself from an insider's tip to one of the most sought after string quartets of its generation. Critics the world over have provided testimony to its rapid development: "New Stars On The Quartet Heaven" (Der Standard, Vienna); " Urgent and impassioned, but with an absolute commitment to the ideal values of every note" (Los Angeles Times); "The Hugo Wolf Quartet exceeded all expectations" (Süddeutsche Zeitung).

Established in 1993, the quartet has now concertized for over ten years in the most prominent concert halls and renowned festivals such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie Berlin & Cologne, the Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels, Symphony Hall Birmingham, Wigmore Hall London, Carnegie Hall New York, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Herkulessaal Munich, Tonhalle Zurich, Rudolfinum Prague, Mozarteum Salzburg, Musikverein and Konzerthaus Vienna, Edinburgh Festival, Schubertiade Feldkirch, Carinthian Summer, L'été musical dans la vallée du Lot, Colmar Festival and many others. Extensive concert tours regularly take the ensemble to South America, Mexico, Japan, the U.S. and elsewhere. In 2007 Gidon Kremer invited the quartet to perform in the Lockenhaus Festival to which they were also appointed to be “ambassador”.

For its tenth anniversary the Hugo Wolf Quartet has established its own cycle in the Vienna Konzerthaus. Works by Zbigniew Bargielski, Friedrich Cerha and Erich Urbanner were composed especially for this occasion. Many other new works have been dedicated to the the Hugo Wolf Quartet and received their highly respected world premieres. The name was granted the quartet by the International Hugo Wolf Society of Vienna. The late Romantic composer Hugo Wolf was situated between the great Viennese music tradition and its departure into the modern period; his name is thus used as a symbol for a performing repertoire that streches from the Classical period to music far past the Second Viennes School.

The quartet's recording avticity can be seen in numerous radio and television productions ( BBC, Radio Berlin, KBS, ORF) and commercial recordings. Compact Disc productions by the Hugo Wolf Quartet include works of Haydn, Schubert, Dvorak, Ravel and Ligeti and have appeared on the Gramola, Atlantis Art and Extraplatte labels. The recording of Beethoven´s op. 18/4 and op. 132 was praised by the press and awarded the ORF-Pasticcio Prize. In 2007 cpo will release the recording of Franz Mittler´s two string quartets, and the musicians´trip to the world of Jazz can be heard on the CD “Other People”, a CAM Jazz production with Kenny Wheeler and John Taylor.

The Hugo Wolf Quartet was founded at the Vienna University for Music and the foundation for an international career was laid through their studies with the Alban Berg Quartet and with Walter Levin of the LaSalle-Quartet. In 1995 the quartet won the Fifth International String Quartet Competition in Cremona and made their debut in the Vienna Konzerthaus, which was celebrated by public and press alike. Further accolades include the prize for best string quartet at the 45th International G.B. Viotti Chamber Music Competition, the Special Prize of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the European Cultural Award for Chamber Music, which awards "artistic talent and outstanding ensemble achievement."

Gertrud Weinmeister became the Quartetts new violist in 2007. She is member of Trio Weinmeister and a sought after chamber musician. As a soloist she worked with orchestras such as Bielefelder Philharmoniker, Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg and Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland Pfalz. She is leader at Nikolaus Harnoncourt´s Concentus Musicus Wien and teaches at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität. The violin by Gioffredo Cappa, the viola by P. Mantegazza and the cello by Niccolo Gagliano are loan instruments generously provided by the Fazenda Ipiranga. The Ipiranga Estate in Brazil produces its premium coffee "Blue de Brasil" without the use of any chemicals and purely organically.