Founded in 2022, the Motus Quartet is an international string quartet based in Vienna, comprised of violinists Tim de Vries and Karla Križ, violist Erin Pitts and cellist Domonkos Hartmann. The ensemble was formed during their studies in Vienna, where they currently study with Johannes Meissl at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw). The quartet has received further artistic guidance from Hatto Beyerle, Valentin Erben, Eckart Runge, Oliver Wille, members of the Jerusalem Quartet and Danish String Quartet, as well as Peter Schuhmayer, Marc Danel, Minna Pensola and Patrick Jüdt.

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A particularly formative experience was their collaboration with György Kurtág, working closely with the composer on several works, including his 12 Microludes for String Quartet, op. 13. They have also collaborated with the Arditti Quartet.

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In March 2025, the quartet was awarded the First Prize and the Special Prize for the Best Interpretation of an Early Classical Work at the 10th International Joseph Joachim Chamber Music Competition in Weimar. In September 2025, they received Third Prize, the Special Prize for the Best Interpretation of the Commissioned Work and the Jury Special Prize at the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition. More recently, the ensemble was awarded the First Prize at the mdw Great Talent Award Powered By Christian Zeller. Furthermore, the quartet won two awards at the 2023 International Summer Academy of the mdw (ISA): the Artis Quartet Award and the Viennese Classicism Award.

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The Motus Quartet is part of the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA) and regularly participates in Musethica sessions throughout Europe. They have given debut concerts at the Konzerthaus Vienna, the Musikverein Vienna, the Concertgebouw and Wigmore Hall, with recent engagements across most of Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Later this year, the quartet will make its debut in Japan, followed by a North American tour with performances in New York City, Washington D.C. and Ottawa. This summer marks the quartet’s debut at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele in Baden-Württemberg, the Schumannfest in Düsseldorf and the Herbstgold Festival in Eisenstadt, curated by Julian Rachlin.

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Tim de Vries performs on a violin made by Lorenzo Storioni (Cremona, 1793). Karla Križ plays a composite Andrea Guarneri violin (Cremona, 17th century). Domonkos Hartmann plays a cello by Raffaele and Antonio Gagliano (Naples, 1850), previously played by Valentin Erben of the Alban Berg Quartet.