Ludmila Berlinskaya & Kazakh Quartet in Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet

Kazakh Quartet

Thirty years after meeting Valentin Berlinsky, resulting in an intensive mentorship, the Kazakh Quartet – officially the Gaziza Zhubanova State String Quartet – has established itself as an internationally acclaimed ensemble. In October 2025, the quartet performed at the BERLINSKY 100 Festival in Paris, commemorating the cellist’s centenary, before touring the United States later that year for a series of concerts culminating in a performance at Carnegie Hall.

Ludmila Berlinskaya

Pianist Ludmila Berlinskaya has appeared on many of the world’s most prestigious stages. Having first performed with the Borodin Quartet at the age of fourteen, chamber music has always played a central role in her artistic life. She has collaborated with renowned musicians including Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich and Quatuor Van Kuijk. Berlinskaya currently lives in Paris, where she forms a piano duo with her husband, Arthur Ancelle.

Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet

Valentin Berlinsky, whose Borodin Quartet worked closely with Shostakovich himself, passed on not only technique but an entire philosophy of chamber music-making. Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet held special meaning for the Borodin Quartet, and its performance here by Ludmila Berlinskaya and the Kazakh Quartet trained in that tradition forms a significant link in the transmission of this unique musical heritage.