“MERITA” CREATIVE EUROPE PROJECT

MERITA – where chamber music, cultural heritage and talent meet

MERITA is an online and offline platform that increases the visibility and circulation of European string quartets by innovating and improving the sustainability of the music industry, increasing access and participation in cultural activities, promoting European cultural heritage, strengthening connections between local and European culture.

Winner of the “Creative Europe – European Platforms 2021” call and co-funded by the European Union, MERITA development lasts 3 years and involves 38 string quartets for a total of 152 artists, 31 historic houses and 9 cultural sites n Europa Nostra’s 7 Most Endangered programme.

Through the digital platform, MERITA showcases artists and presents cultural sites, historic houses, educational material, and content for the public and it includes online and on-site activities, i.e. training, artistic residencies, transnational and international circulation of young artists, studies and research.
The platform also allows new audiences to be brought closer to classical music and places of historical interest.

MERITA aims to become a reference point, promoting a sustainable business model that unites emerging chamber music artists, audiences, and cultural heritage, fostering among others the exchange of best practices for artists, environmental sustainability, and awareness.

MERITA provides specific training for the 38 string quartets on Sustainable Events, environmental management analysis for cultural venues, and a Carbon Footprint Tool for chamber music concerts.

MERITA, coordinated by Le Dimore del Quartetto, brings together 17 leading musical and cultural organizations from 12 European countries.

1. Comitato AMUR, Milan (Italy)
2. European Historic Houses, Bruxelles (Belgium)
3. EuAbout Lab ASBL – European Association for Research, Educational, Cultural and Social Innovation, Bruxelles (Belgium)
4. ProQuartet – Centre européen de musique de chambre, Paris (France)
5. B&M Theocharakis Foundation, Athens (Greece)
6. Stichting Strijkkwartet Biënnale Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
7. Europa Nostra, The Hague (Netherlands)
8. Traces&Dreams, Stockholom (Sweden)
9. Lofoten Internasjonale Kammermusikkfest, Oslo (Norway)
10. University of Arts of Tirana, Tirana (Albania)
11. Qendra EVENT, Tirana (Albania)
12. Julian Cochran Foundation, Warsaw (Poland)
13. Beogradska Umetnička Nova Teritorija (Belgrade Artistic New Territory – BUNT), Belgrade (Serbia)
14. Kolarac – Zadužbina Ilije M. Kolarca, Belgrade (Serbia)
15. Cadenza Arts Management Ltd., Budapest (Hungary)
16. experimentadesign – Associação para a Promoção do Design e Cultura de Projecto, Lisbon (Portugal)

The selected quartets are:

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European Historic Houses played an important role in the project as the organisation was in charge of finding residences for the cultural events from September 2023 to April 2024. 

You can check out which historic houses hosted the musicians here.

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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.