Photo: Igor Studio

Helena Poggio

Born in Madrid, Helena Poggio studied at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía under the direction of Frans Helmerson. She later continued her studies in the USA, at Indiana University (Artist Diploma) and at the Juilliard School in New York (Master of Music). She has attended master classes with N.Shakovskaya, D. Geringas, B. Greenhouse, P. Müller and B. Pergamenschikov among others.

Helena has always been passionate about chamber music and strongly believes it is one of the best ways to learn, develop and share music with colleagues, students and audiences. Her chamber music teachers R. Schmidt, W. Levin and H. Beyerle have profoundly influenced and shaped her way of understanding music.

As a member of the Cuarteto Quiroga, she has received her chamber music education at the Instituto Internacional de Música de Cámara de Madrid, the Musikhochschule in Basel and the European Chamber Music Academy and has won several prizes in the most prestigious international competitions for String Quartet (Bordeaux, Geneva, Borciani, Beijing, Paris) as well as Gold medal at Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica, the “Ojo Crítico” Spanish Radio Culture Prize (2007) and the Spanish National Music Prize (2018).

The Cuarteto Quiroga tours regularly across the most relevant halls in Europe and the USA; London Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center and Frick Collection New York, Berlin Konzerthaus, Boulez Saal, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Madrid’s Auditorio Nacional, Philarmonie Berlín, Washington National Library, etc, and has released seven CD titles (Cobra Records, Harmonia Mundi) with unanimous applause from critics and audiences. It is considered one of the most dynamic, bold and important quartets of Europe’s newest generation and has shared the stage with musicians such as Martha Argerich, Veronika Hagen, Jörg Widmann, Valentin Erben, Javier Perianes and Antje Weithaas, among others.

Helena has been awarded prizes at various national and international competitions including First Prize at the Spanish National Contest “Ciudad de Xativa”, First Prize and Audience Prize at the International “Julio Cardona”Competition (Portugal) and First Prize at the Latin American Music Center Competition at Indiana University, USA. She has appeared as a soloist with the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Orquesta Sinfónica Ciudad de Gijón and she has been recorded by the Spanish National Radio. As an orchestra member she has worked with conductors such as J.Levine, K.Masur, L.Maazel, P.Järvi, Z.Metha and Sir Colin Davis in various orchestras.

Fulbright scholar, Helena enjoys teaching chamber music as much as performing with the Cuarteto Quiroga. After more than a decade teaching at the Conservatorio Superior de Aragon, she is currently a professor at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Madrid and also teaches at the International Summer Course of Llanes (Asturias). She has been a jury member at the Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, the “Piero Farulli” International Young String Quartet Competition, the Spanish “Juventudes Musicales” Contest and soon she will form part of the jury at the next Bad-Tölz International String Quartet Competition in Germany.