Beethoven's 16 string quartets occupy a place of honor in the chamber repertoire. 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth, and Quatuor Ebene is recognizing this with an extensive tour, entitled Beethoven Around the World. Over that period the French ensemble will give over 120 concerts in a total of 21 countries on six continents, focusing on complete cycles of the quartets from February 2020. Beethoven Around the World encompasses live recordings for Erato, building a complete cycle, made in seven of the world's great cities: Vienna (at the Konzerthaus); Philadelphia (Kimmel Center); Tokyo (Suntory Hall); Sao Paulo (Sala Sao Paulo); Melbourne (Melbourne Recital Centre); Nairobi, and, with the support of UNESCO, Paris (Philharmonie de Paris).