Doric String Quartet

Doric String Quartet

Alex Redington violin

Jonathan Stone violin

Hélène Clément viola

John Myerscough cello

HAYDN String Quartet in D, Op 20 No 4

BRITTEN String Quartet No 1 in D, Op 25

MENDELSSOHN String Quartet in E flat, Op 44 No 3

The Doric String Quartet has firmly established itself as one of the leading British string quartets of its generation, receiving enthusiastic responses from audiences and critics across the globe. Selected for representation by YCAT (Young Concert Artists Trust) in 2006, the Quartet went on to win several prizes, including First Prize at the 2008 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan, Second Prize at the Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition in Italy, and the Ensemble Prize at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.

Biggar remembers a memorable concert in February 2014.

The Quartet performs in leading concert halls throughout Europe including Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Vienna Konzerthaus, Berlin Konzerthaus, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Hamburg Laieszhalle and De Singel, Antwerp, and is a regular visitor to the Wigmore Hall in London. In 2010, the Quartet made its highly acclaimed American debut with recitals in the Frick Museum in New York and the Library of Congress in Washington, and now returns for annual tours to North America.

Alongside its main season concerts, the Quartet has a busy festival schedule. One of the highlights of their 2016/17 season was their debut appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Since 2010 the Quartet has recorded exclusively for Chandos Records. The Quartet’s release of the Schumann String Quartets was named CD of the Month in both Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine and was shortlisted for a 2012 Gramophone Award. Their recording of Haydn’s Op 20 was named Editor’s Choice by Gramophone and shortlisted for a 2015 Gramophone Award and their most recent release of Haydn Op 76 Quartets was praised for its “sense of clarity and precision” by the Sunday Times.

Staying power is crucial in the world of string quartets. The supply of first-class players far outstrips demand and it is a sign of the resilience of the Doric String Quartet, formed in 1998, that it has continued onwards and upwards from its early successes in competitions to major awards for its recordings over the past few years.

The Financial Times

Wigmore Hall – December 2012