The MERITA Revolution: supporting string quartets to connect, innovate and evolve

When MERITA (Music, cultural hERItage, Talent) was launched in 2022, it began as a bold vision: to imagine chamber music not only as an art form, but as a tool for connection, innovation, and social change.

Today, MERITA is more than a project: it is a living platform, a place where musicians and partners experiment, create, and grow together.

Francesca Moncada, project manager of MERITA and founder of Le Dimore del Quartetto, reflects on the MERITA platform’s first three years:

In just three years, the MERITA project has reshaped the world of chamber music: from historic houses to hospitals, from intimate audiences to international stages, it has opened new ways for music to connect people, inspire change, and support the development of innovative projects.

These three years have also been an extraordinary journey of exploration, experimentation, development, and reflection alongside exceptional companions who shared our mission and goals. Together, we have created new tools, launched pioneering projects, and above all, built a renewed sense of trust, with the awareness that collaboration can achieve great things.

Today, we offer a vibrant and welcoming working platform: a real and virtual space where new possibilities can be proposed and tested for a sector, the world of chamber music, that risked cultural isolation. Artistic careers have become increasingly challenging and under-recognised, audiences are aging and niche, and these factors have pushed us to reverse the trend. Evolving the traditional offerings of classical music and broadening its reach has become essential to bridge the gap between tradition and contemporary audiences.

Launched in September 2022, this pioneering initiative focuses on musicians’ ability to design original projects that highlight the individuality and profound soul of each ensemble, capturing the attention of new and diverse audiences. Through a programme of training and dissemination, the MERITA Platform aims to chart new trajectories for string quartets and leading chamber ensembles worldwide.

It is a springboard for the many groups who participated in the first edition, a goal for new ensembles eagerly awaiting the opportunity to join, a meeting point for platform members who have worked with dedication, and a resource for all stakeholders ready to collaborate with us.

MERITA concludes its first three years with results far exceeding expectations: the platform has supported 38 string quartets, involving 152 musicians from 28 nationalities, alongside more than 20 interdisciplinary artists including dancers, singers, actors, and multimedia creators.

40 artistic residencies took place in 26 historic houses, totaling 253 residency days. These experiences allowed musicians to immerse themselves in Europe’s cultural and architectural heritage, giving life to innovative projects and unique concert formats.

The concert programming has been equally remarkable: 198 performances in 140 venues across 27 countries, reaching over 10,000 listeners between March 2024 and August 2025. Thanks to the creative formats developed during residencies, MERITA has successfully reached children, people in vulnerable situations, and audiences unfamiliar with classical music, broadening the horizons of chamber music and demonstrating its potential for inclusion and social cohesion.

In a present that demands new environmental and social responsibilities, it is essential to promote cultural projects that avoid waste and unnecessary consumption, fostering social cohesion through sustainable processes, with no material waste, and always oriented toward a positive impact on communities.

At a time marked by wars and conflicts, and characterised by the pervasive use of digital technologies, chamber music, and even more so the string quartet, is the most human and moving message our society can convey.

A true ambassador of dialogue, diversity, and passionate youth engagement, it transcends borders, reaching from royal courts to hospitals, leaving no one behind, because beauty is a right for all.

Now it’s up to us. Let’s get to work!

Learn more about MERITA here.