Karolina Beinarytė (1st violin)
Dalia Terminaitė (2nd violin)
Eglė Lapinskė (viola)
Saulius Bartulis (cello)

The Kaunas String Quartet is one of the most important classical music ensembles in Kaunas, the second largest town in Lithuania. The Kaunas City Council has been supporting the quartet since 1988. During more than 30 years of its existence the quartet has given more than 2000 concerts at various venues, festivals in Lithuania, as well as other countries (Finland, Norway, Poland, Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Argentina, Chile, Denmark, the Ukraine), representing the high level of Lithuanian chamber music making.

In 30 years the quartet has built up a repertoire of over 300 works. It regularly performs classical works, pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as contemporary music. The Kaunas String Quartet has performed a large number of new works by Lithuanian and in particular Kaunas composers, with whom the quartet has collaborated over many years. For its role in promoting contemporary music the Kaunas String Quartet was awarded “Tikra muzika” (Real music) prize of the year (2008), and honoured with the title of “The Most Memorable Kaunas Creative Collective” (2009). In 2012, for its contribution to Lithuanian culture and art the Kaunas String Quartet was awarded the Prize of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.

The Kaunas String Quartet is regularly asked to record original music for films and theatrical productions. It has recorded many works for the Lithuanian National Radio and released 13 compact discs.

“...The Kaunas Quartet is a smoothly blended tightly cohesive unit... The powerful, incisive account created a desire to hear it again soon... The Quartet evidently has this music in their blood – their committed advocacy suggested that further hearings would prove rewarding...
…Schubert was extravagantly done… the first violin on occasion soaring to the blue yonder…”

15 03 13 – Gloucester Citizen (United Kingdom)

“… The Kaunas String Quartet was an important discovery for me. It is such a professional, such a stylistically sophisticated ensemble that I have no hesitation in calling it the best quartet in Lithuania…”

15 07 11 – Lithuanian Radio

“… The Kaunas Quartet played Brahms’ String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51 magnificently. This is not the first year that these musicians have demonstrated the highest mastery of performance, their close ensemble playing and stylistic understanding of 19th century music… Well, and the particular musical rhetoric of the quartet is in large part due to the intuitiveness and intensity of Karolina Beinarytė on the first violin…”

22 07 11 – Septynios meno dienos (Lithuania)

“…The memory brings back the concert, which had magnetized the audience at the Nida Evangelical Lutheran Church. At the concert Kaunas String Quartet – Karolina Beinarytė, Dalia Terminaitė, Eglė Karžinauskaitė and Saulius Bartulis – together with Dovilė Sauspreikšaitytė and Edmundas Kulikauskas performed the original version of Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night… It was exceptionally concordant, flexible and eloquent team of six string players, who were able to rise the complex musical score above the material element. One had the feeling that the opus was composed specially for this ensemble. Moreover, this feeling did not vanish when listening to their performance of Grażyna Bacewicz’ Forth string quartet and Schumann’s Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44 (together with pianist Jurgis Karnavičius). The faculty for evading cliché interpretations, ability to breathe unrestrictedly and invest every single score with ever new artistic idea born out of genuine need to express themselves – these characteristics affirm Kaunas String Quartet’s vitality and utmost musicality. The Quartet is entering the 30th year of its professional career. Surprising quality – to be able to draw revitalisation and life from the professional experience…”

24 12 10 – Septynios meno dienos (Lithuania)

“…After listening to the performance of Schumann’s Piano quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44, Grażyna Bacewicz’ String quartet No. 4 and aforementioned opus by Schoenberg I subscribe to the thought of my colleague expressed before the festival – today Kaunas String Quartet is the best, most professional, most dynamic and most eloquent string quartet in Lithuania.”

17 09 10 – Literatūra ir menas (Lithuania)

“...A new programme displayed the ensemble’s maturity, virtuosity, concord and sensitive interpretations. No wonder Kaunas composers trust it with the performance of their works and dedicate their opuses to this ensemble.”

02 07 09 – Nemunas (Lithuania)

“…Kaunas String Quartet is an ensemble of the highest European standard. It represents Kaunas as an equal cultural phenomenon in European context. The fact that such a high-level ensemble resides in Kaunas not in the capital is of utmost importance to our cultural self-awareness; we are hopeful to live out of the cultural province.”

02 04 09 – Nemunas (Lithuania)

“…I would mention Justė Janulytė’s Aria I dedicated to Kaunas String Quartet, a subtle work, which steers the listener through a tricky melodic maize; Daiva Rokaitė’s intellectual and constructivist Quartet Soli, as well as V. Bartulis’ Quintet for strings and accordion, which revealed more of a Bartulis himself than citations and inspirations. I am unanimous with Vladas Švedas, one of the composers, that it was a substantial and challenging programme: “…parts are difficult, requiring high skill and maturity from the performers.”

04 12 08 – Nemunas (Lithuania)

“…the four string players (Karolina Beinarytė, Dalia Terminaitė (violins), Eglė Karžinauskaitė (viola), Saulius Bartulis (cello) performed with great finesse, precision, energy… The musicians roused new life to V. Bartulis’ Second string quartet Psalms – its emotional code was given an articulated reading, revealing the uniqueness and fragility of human nature…”

15 10 08 – Nemunas (Lithuania)

“…regardless of what they play, they always find subtle and genuine bond with music. And the listener in an almost unexplainable way feels that they care very much whether he will hear everything in a right way. Perhaps from this point of view the interpretation can be compared to the task of a jeweller?”

25 07 08 – Septynios meno dienos (Lithuania)

“…the ensemble is universal, colourful, open to novelties and true to classics. Not only the versatility of the repertoire, virtuosity or competition diplomas confirm their musical maturity. While listening to this Quartet one realises that there are several hidden criteria: listening attentively to one’s colleagues, subtle and mute ‘collaboration’, synchronic element. They perform with utmost accuracy, caring for every phrase and note. Nothing is left out: be it ‘bows’, dynamic diapason, temperament or character of a piece.”

24 01 08 – Nemunas  (Lithuania)

“…General mood of the concert has made the biggest impression, when one could witness genuine and pure creativity at work… and excellently performed… polished to the most minuscule detail and contemplated by the four string players and the pianist…”

26 10 07 – Kauno diena (Lithuania)

“…Pianist Petras Geniušas drew the Kaunas String Quartet into his own spontaneous creative vortex. And how they all – Karolina Beinarytė, Dalia Terminaitė, Dovilė Sauspreikšaitytė and Saulius Bartulis – together with the passionate but at the same time focused and strong-willed pianist ignited Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano quintet in G minor! Drama, virtuosity, irony, sincerity… The composer’s idea was stunningly explicit throughout the performance, solidified by logic. This kind of art requires expressiveness and intensity. However not only romantic, but more so expressionistic, inspired by the architectonics of the work. It is amazing to hear (“see”) it as if just created.”   

28 07 06 – Literatūra ir menas (Lithuania)

“…Kaunas String Quartet astonished with the highest mastery, excellent ensemble, precise intonation… The four virtuosos of their instruments “blended” into a superb ensemble, giving a compelling performance, in which the musicians’ revealed idiosyncrasies of every composition by the composer …”

27 10 04 – Klaipėda (Lithuania)

“Kaunas String Quartet has performed Vasara 2004. Nida (Summer 2004. Nida) by V.Barkauskas. Communicably meditated beauty of a moment, delicateness, interplay of light and soft shade…”

30 07 04 – Literatūra ir menas (Lithuania)

“…an incredible string quartet from Lithuania has paid a visit to our city. The audience greeted it with ovation…we were fortunate to have the pleasure of listening to this wonderful concert, where Kaunas String Quartet has demonstrated its high professionalism and musicianship.”

07 05 04 – La Capital (Argentina)

“Composer Algimantas Kubiliūnas has dedicated his Third string quartet to Kaunas String Quartet as a sign of his gratitude for the ensemble’s heartfelt interpretations of new music… Pointillist segments, voiced by violin and viola, and supported by cello ostinato, were drifting as lonely sighs, weaving into a dramatic vertical line of sounds in the second movement.”

12 03 – Muzikos barai (Lithuania)

“Kaunas String Quartet perfectly revealed the mood of G. Kuprevičius composition “Summer Night Together with Naujalis”, for string quartet. It was performed charmingly, stylish, as if taking one breath.”

29 11 02 – Septynios meno dienos (Lithuania)

“Kaunas String Quartet and Prof. A. Budrys performed W.A. Mozart Quintet for clarinet and two violins, viola and cello op. 108. Stylish, expressive sound, well-balanced dramaturgic line, virtuosity – these are epithets which I would characterize the performance of the quartet and soloist.”

09 02 – Muzikos barai (Lithuania)

“Suokos was deciphered in Kaunas. I was deeply amazed by the excellent interpretation” – claimed Bajoras who earlier had a number of complaints to the Silesia Quartet from Poland to whom this quartet was dedicated.”

21 11 00 – Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)

“One can only be amazed by the enthusiasm and endeavour of the quartet to retain high artistic level. The quartets representing different epochs acquired their own face. An elegant and gallant Mozart was shifted by a melodious Schubert, while Bartulis’ Psalms distinguished itself by its exclusive gravity and subtle dialogue between the members of the quartet where each of them listens to one another attentively.”

11 00 –  Muzikos Barai (Lithuania)

“The musicians were playing like like-minded people exploiting all the means of their armoury in order to achieve a well-considered and sensuous artistic goal. Deep perception of music, ability to convey it marked the whole programme.”

03 10 00 – Lietuvos Rytas (Lithuania)

“The musicians convinced the listeners that hard work, talent and consensus omnium of individualities gives splendid results. We listened to stylish, expressive music, which seemed to be performed as if with one instrument.”

24 06 00 – Kauno Diena (Lithuania)

“Four young enthusiastic musicians presented the works of mid generation composers of their country with amazingly meditative and deep expression .”

10 11 99 – Cottbuser Rundschau (Germany)

“I am impressed by the attempts of this quartet to retain the position of the “ambassadors” of serious art in Kaunas. I would like to single out the execution of Shubert’s Quartet whose dramatic line was well-considered, the details polished and the presentation effective.”

21 08 98 – Kauno Diena, the music critic Dr. Ona Narbutienė (Lithuania)

“Bravo! A perfectly ballanced virtuosity and expressiveness! The elegant performance of the Kaunas String Quartet led the concert to undoubtful success.”

03 07 98 – Tonsbergs Blad (Norway)

“Masterly interpreting the works of Haydn, Schubert, Bartulis, Ravel and other composers the Kaunas String Quartet revealed and demonstrated the high cultural standard of the Baltic States.”

13 09 93 – Märkische Oderzeitung (Germany)

“The young musicians from the Kaunas String Quartet made a strong impression on the audience not only from the technical point of view, but also surprised by the manner of  expressing devotion to their music and their beautiful, disciplinary sound.”

24 08 92 – Der Neue Tag (Germany)