By Izak Nuri, summer 25

Ever since I picked up the cello at the age of eight, chamber music, and especially the string quartet, has been a constant in my life. There's something about the intimacy, the dialogue, and the shared responsibility of the music that has always drawn me in. So when I found out last December that I’d be playing Mendelssohn’s Octet with none other than the Belcea Quartet, I was completely overwhelmed. I literally jumped from joy.

The performance was part of a collaborative project, involving four students from our Akademie together with the members of the Belcea Quartet. Playing with musicians I had admired for years felt surreal. The Belcea Quartet is known for its emotional depth, precision, and a truly unique sound. For me, this is not just an extraordinary ensemble — the people who form it are models for the kind of musician I hope to become.

The Belcea Quartet and students of the Barenboim-Said Akademie, December 2024

Alongside my excitement, I couldn’t help but feel nervous; here is a group of expert musicians with decades of experience, while I’m still in my early twenties, a student, searching for my way. But these fears soon evaporated. From the first rehearsal, the Belcea musicians made it clear that we were all in this together. No hierarchy, no pressure, just music.

We spent a full day rehearsing the octet together, diving into the smallest details: intonation, articulation, timing, color. Nothing was overlooked. Every change of harmony, every phrase ending, every color was questioned and discussed. Should we keep it “on the string” here, or let it “sul tasto”? Should we actively push the music forward, or let it flow? What amazed me most was the openness. Even though they’ve probably played this piece a hundred times, all four members of the quartet approached it with the curiosity and freshness of a first encounter. And they included us in every part of the process. And the best part? They made it fun. They were warm, humorous, and genuinely kind, and even exposed their secret nicknames (but I won’t share those here…).

Rehearsals with the Belcea Quartet, December 2024 

The performance itself was no less than incredible (not to brag or anything). Onstage, you could feel how deeply the Belcea members know one another, how they communicate without saying a single word, how they carry the music as one organism. But the most beautiful thing was how they included us in that wordless conversation, truly making us feel like equals, not “students” and “masters.”

That experience changed something in me. I gained a deeper understanding of what it means to make music with others. Six months later, I still feel the effect—in rehearsals, in lessons, even in the way I listen. Playing with the Belcea Quartet wasn’t just a highlight of my studies; it’s a memory that will stay with me for many years to come.

Photo credits © Peter Adamik