Carducci String Quartet

Described by The Strad as presenting “a masterclass in unanimity of musical purpose, in which severity could melt seamlessly into charm, and drama into geniality″, the Carducci Quartet is recognised as one of today’s most successful string quartets. Performing over 90 concerts worldwide each year the quartet also run their own recording label Carducci Classics; an annual festival in Highnam, Gloucester; and in September 2014, curated their first Carducci Festival in Castagneto-Carducci: the town from which they took their name.
 
Winners of international competitions, including the Concert Artists Guild International Competition 2007 and Finland’s Kuhmo International Chamber Music Competition,the Anglo-Irish quartet has appeared at prestigious venues across the globe including the Wigmore Hall, London; National Concert Hall, Dublin; Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen; Carnegie Hall, New York and Library of Congress and John F Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. Festival appearances include Cheltenham Music Festival; Festival Messiaen au pays Meije; West Cork Chamber Music festival; Kuhmo Festival; and the Wratislavia Cantans Festival in Poland.
 
2015 will see the quartet present the complete catalogue of Shostakovich’s String Quartets across a number of international cycles to commemorate 40 years since the composer’s death. The project will be accompanied by a recording of quartet’s no. 4, 8 and 11: their second disc for Signum Classics. Further to this, the quartet will tour Germany, Holland and Colombia and collaborate with guitarist Craig Ogden, clarinettist Emma Johnson, cellists Guy Johnston and Christian-Pierre La Marca.
 
Highly celebrated for their interpretation of contemporary repertoire, the Carducci Quartet is regularly invited to perform new works. This season they present the world premiere of Anthony Gilbert’s cello quintet Haven of Mysteries with Guy Johnston and curate two projects at Kings Place, London around Steve Reich and Philip Glass.
 
2013 saw the release of two recordings: Into the Ravine with Nicholas Daniel – their debut release for Signum Classics – featuring British works composed for the ensemble, and Alexander Raskatov’s Monks Music, listed as one of the top 5 classical recordings of 2013 by the Irish Times. The quartet has also received wide critical acclaim for recordings on their own record label and their catalogue features two world premiere recordings: works by G. Whettam (‘recording of the month’ MusicWeb International) and J. Horovitz (‘beautifully crafted works…excellent performances’, BBC Music Magazine). They have also recorded Vivaldi and Piazzolla with the Katona Twins Guitar Duo for Channel Classics, as well as Philip Glass for Naxos.
 
In 2011, the Carducci Quartet was nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award for their family concert ‘Getting the Quartet Bug!’ Educational work remains important to the quartet who set up the Carducci Music Trust, to support their work in schools. The quartet also runs chamber music courses for young musicians in the UK, France and Ireland, and regularly coach on the National Youth String Quartet Weekend.
 
The quartet studied with members of the Amadeus, Alban Berg, Chilingirian, Takacs and Vanbrugh quartets and, as part of the ProQuartet professional training programme in France, with Gyorgy Kurtag, Walter Levin and Paul Katz.
 
Carducci String Quartet official site
Carducci String Quartet on Facebook