Event information
Programme
Beethoven, String Quartet No.16 in F major, Op.135
Haydn, String Quartet in D major, Op.20 No.4
Beethoven, String Quartet No.15 in A minor, Op.132
About Doric String Quartet
ALEX REDINGTON, VIOLIN
YING XUE, VIOLIN
HÉLÈNE CLÉMENT, VIOLA
JOHN MYERSCOUGH, CELLO
The Doric String Quartet brings an elegance and intimacy both to the Classical canon and new music and as they go into their 25th anniversary this season, the players continue to deepen their interpretations and win fans across the world. Having performed cycles of Haydn, Mendelssohn, Britten and Bartók at famous venues around the world, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Vienna Konzerthaus and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, this season they turn their attention to Beethoven, embarking on a recording project for Chandos, with the first instalment out this year, and culminating in 2026–27 with the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death.
Their intellectual rigour has led them to use specially made original-style bows for performing Classical repertoire from Haydn to Mendelssohn, and while they are known for their refined performances of this repertoire, they are also committed to new music, performing works by composers such as Peter Maxwell Davies and Donnacha Dennehy. In 2019 they gave the world premiere of Brett Dean’s String Quartet no.3, commissioned for them by Musica Viva Australia, Carnegie Hall, Edinburgh Festival, Berlin Konzerthaus, Amsterdam String Quartet Biennale and West Cork Chamber Music Festival. The Doric String Quartet’s curiosity and flexibility are represented by a discography of more than 20 recordings for Chandos, with whom they have recorded exclusively since 2010, ranging from Purcell to John Adams. They are regular visitors at Snape Maltings and London’s Wigmore Hall, where they were the first group to perform to a live audience after lockdown. They make an annual tour of the US and visit Japan every other year, with venues including Suntory Hall.
They often perform repertoire for string quartet and orchestra, including Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro, and were invited to give the Austrian premiere of John Adams’ Absolute Jest for String Quartet and Orchestra at the Vienna Konzerthaus, with Adams conducting.
