Founded in 1953, Zagreb Soloists are one of Europe’s most distinguished chamber string ensembles, having performed over 5,000 concerts on all continents, from Carnegie Hall (New York) and the Musikverein (Vienna) to the Sydney Opera House and Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires).
Over the decades, they have had the privilege of performing alongside some of the greatest names in classical music, including Henryk Szeryng, Alfred Brendel, Pierre Fournier, James Galway, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Katia Ricciarelli, Mario Brunello, Ray Chen, and many others.
The ensemble has been regular guests at the world’s most prestigious festivals, including Salzburg, Edinburgh, Berlin, Prague, Barcelona, and Istanbul, and have released over seventy recordings for labels including EMI, Vanguard, and ASV.
The Zagreb Soloists perform a repertoire that includes baroque, classical, romantic, and contemporary music, with special attention focused on the actualization of earlier works, as well as the presentation of younger generations of Croatian composers.
Guy Braunstein, longtime concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic has been the permanent guest concertmaster of the Ensemble. Marc Coppey, the internationally acclaimed French cellist and professor at the Paris Conservatoire, has been the ensemble’s Musical Director since 2011.
The Zagreb Soloists have announced the appointment of violinist, conductor and composer Guy Braunstein as their Principal Guest Concertmaster, beginning with the ensemble’s 2026/27 season.
The Zagreb Soloists are now in their 73rd season and have given nearly 5,000 concerts across every continent, regularly performing in the world's most celebrated halls: in recent seasons the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the Palace of Versailles and the Musikverein in Vienna.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS:
Zagreb soloists have been awarded many high awards and recognitions, among which stand out: the first prize in Mar del Plata (for the album Concerts of the 18th century), the Pablo Casals Medal, the Elisabeth Sprague Coolidge Medal (for performance contemporary music), Vladimir Nazor, Milka Trnina, Josip Štolcer Slavenski awards for the best performance of a work by a Croatian composer; the Ivan Lukačić and Jurica Murai awards of the Varaždin Baroque Evenings, Villa Manin, UNESCO, Zagreb City Award, Croatia Records Silver Compact Disc, Order of Merit of the People with Silver Rays, City of Zagreb Plaque, several Croatian Porin discography awards (in 1994 for life’s work), Silver Plaque of the Croatian Musical Youth and numerous others.
During the Homeland War, the Zagreb soloists held around seventy charity concerts (for the city of Dubrovnik, for the destroyed music schools in Croatia, the demolished HNK building in Osijek, the Zagreb Children’s Hospital, for numerous destroyed Croatian monuments, etc.), and they also performed a large number of festive concerts on the occasion of the presentation of the new Croatian state.
In 2010, the Ensemble was awarded the Orlando Grand Prix award for special artistic contributions to the overall program of the Dubrovnik Summer Games.
SELECTED REVIEWS:
Musika-Música Festival, Bilbao
“The Central European elegance of the Zagreb Soloists…”
Codalario, Spain, March 2026
“The Central European elegance of the Zagreb Soloists…”
Codalario, Spain, March 2026
“...on the highest musical level.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
“The performances are really superb and the Zagreb Soloists are at the height of their art.”
MusicWeb International, UK
“A group of strings who play, think, act, breathe as one.”
New York Herald Tribune, USA
“When music is played harmoniously and with temperament, there is no longer any question of style of interpretation or number of performers: the divine that exists in all good music simply rises to the surface. This happened at the concert by the Zagreb Soloists…”
Wiener Zeitung, Austria
“A wonderful musical machine, quivering, precious, intense… an ensemble that can be placed alongside the best European chamber music groups.”
Corriere d’Informazione, Italy
“The Zagreb Soloists, in their precision and correctness, fusion and quality of sound, can without a doubt be counted among the best chamber music ensembles of today.”
El Mundo, Argentina
“Concerning style, Japan had very rarely, or perhaps never, heard such noble phrasing and control.”
Asahi Evening News, Japan
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
“The performances are really superb and the Zagreb Soloists are at the height of their art.”
MusicWeb International, UK
“A group of strings who play, think, act, breathe as one.”
New York Herald Tribune, USA
“When music is played harmoniously and with temperament, there is no longer any question of style of interpretation or number of performers: the divine that exists in all good music simply rises to the surface. This happened at the concert by the Zagreb Soloists…”
Wiener Zeitung, Austria
“A wonderful musical machine, quivering, precious, intense… an ensemble that can be placed alongside the best European chamber music groups.”
Corriere d’Informazione, Italy
“The Zagreb Soloists, in their precision and correctness, fusion and quality of sound, can without a doubt be counted among the best chamber music ensembles of today.”
El Mundo, Argentina
“Concerning style, Japan had very rarely, or perhaps never, heard such noble phrasing and control.”
Asahi Evening News, Japan
“An ensemble of thirteen perfect string musicians… brought the city of Zagreb onto the musical map.”
Detroit Times, USA
“The string school of perfect culture is evident in the virtuoso interpretations; each individual is an artist of note.”
Neue Tageszeitung, Austria
“A precise, disciplined and exceptionally talented group of musicians.
The Christian Science Monitor, USA
“Their artistic souls are as united as their fingers.”
Detroit Free Press, USA
“The musical understanding must be admired… as well as the complete profundity that their sensibility brings to the interpretation.”
Diario de Barcelona, Spain
“Authentic aesthetes and deep connoisseurs of the composers they perform, the members of the ensemble bring to their interpretations an appropriate style, precise brilliance and the sensitivity necessary to characterise each work.”
Folha de São Paulo, Brazil
“The performances evidence good taste and great stylistic authenticity.
Informatia Bucurestului, Romania
“The perfection in music making that we could only envisage in our imaginings… is a dream coming to life.”
Salzburg, Austria
“Marc Coppey and the Zagreb Soloists deliver a freshness that brings this music alive.”
The Classical Reviewer, UK
Marc Coppey & The Zagreb Soloists
“A rich, finely detailed interplay of intellect and passion.”
Mikiki by Tower Records, Japan
Detroit Times, USA
“The string school of perfect culture is evident in the virtuoso interpretations; each individual is an artist of note.”
Neue Tageszeitung, Austria
“A precise, disciplined and exceptionally talented group of musicians.
The Christian Science Monitor, USA
“Their artistic souls are as united as their fingers.”
Detroit Free Press, USA
“The musical understanding must be admired… as well as the complete profundity that their sensibility brings to the interpretation.”
Diario de Barcelona, Spain
“Authentic aesthetes and deep connoisseurs of the composers they perform, the members of the ensemble bring to their interpretations an appropriate style, precise brilliance and the sensitivity necessary to characterise each work.”
Folha de São Paulo, Brazil
“The performances evidence good taste and great stylistic authenticity.
Informatia Bucurestului, Romania
“The perfection in music making that we could only envisage in our imaginings… is a dream coming to life.”
Salzburg, Austria
“Marc Coppey and the Zagreb Soloists deliver a freshness that brings this music alive.”
The Classical Reviewer, UK
Marc Coppey & The Zagreb Soloists
“A rich, finely detailed interplay of intellect and passion.”
Mikiki by Tower Records, Japan
PAST PERFORMANCES:
EUROPE
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom (England and Scotland) and Vatican City besides many festivals in Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Berlin, Bergen, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Madrid among many others.
NORTH AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN
Canada, Cuba, Mexico, the United States, the Antilles
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.
The ensemble's archival records document extensive Latin American touring, including the Antilles, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela.
ASIA
China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea.
The ensemble has a long history of touring in Asia, including Japan from as early as 1963, India in 1979, several visits to China, and more recent appearances in South Korea.
AFRICA
Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia.
OCEANIA
Australia, New Zealand.
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom (England and Scotland) and Vatican City besides many festivals in Vienna, Salzburg, Prague, Berlin, Bergen, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, London, Madrid among many others.
NORTH AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN
Canada, Cuba, Mexico, the United States, the Antilles
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.
The ensemble's archival records document extensive Latin American touring, including the Antilles, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela.
ASIA
China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea.
The ensemble has a long history of touring in Asia, including Japan from as early as 1963, India in 1979, several visits to China, and more recent appearances in South Korea.
AFRICA
Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia.
OCEANIA
Australia, New Zealand.
UPCOMING DATES
CONCERTS (INTERNATIONAL)
CONCERTS (INTERNATIONAL)
2026
October: Italy: Amici della Musica, Sala Maffeiana (Verona)
Autumn: USA: Texas with the Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth
December: Austria: Festspielhaus (Bregenz)
2026/27: France & Switzerland (multi-city tour)
2027
February–March: Germany: 21-city tour with soloist Ramón Ortega Quero
May: Bosnia-Herzegovina (Sarajevo) “opening the SVEM festival” (The ensemble is the traditional guest)
July: Italy (multi-city tour)
July: Czech Republic (Třeboňská Nocturna Festival)
July: Italy (multi-city tour)
July: Czech Republic (Třeboňská Nocturna Festival)
CONCERTS (CROATIA)
3 October 2026 (Soloist: Zvi Plesser - cello)
7 November 2026 (Soloist: Martina Filjak - piano)
12 December 2026 (Soloist: Kevin Zhu - violin)
16 January 2027 (Soloist: Petrit Çeku - guitar)
21 February 2027 (Soloist: Ramón Ortega Quero - oboe)
20 March 2027 *Zagreb Musical Spring*
10 April 2027 (Soloist: Ziyang Zhao - cello)
8 May 2027 (Soloist: Mirella Hagen - soprano)
13 June 2027 (Soloist: Ilya Gringolts - violin)
10 April 2027 (Soloist: Ziyang Zhao - cello)
8 May 2027 (Soloist: Mirella Hagen - soprano)
13 June 2027 (Soloist: Ilya Gringolts - violin)
