Described by Gramophone as ‘one of the finest young string quartets’ the Doric String Quartet has emerged as the leading British string quartet amongst the new generation receiving glowing responses from audiences and critics across the globe. Selected for representation by YCAT in 2006 the Quartet went on to win several prizes including 1st prize at the 2008 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan, 2nd prize at the Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition in Italy and the Ensemble Prize at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.
Since its formation in 1998 the Quartet has performed across the world and collaborated with artists including Ian Bostridge, Philip Langridge, Mark Padmore, Alexander Melnikov, Daniel Müller-Schott, Chen Halevi and the Florestan Trio. In autumn 2010 the Quartet made its highly acclaimed American debut with recitals at the Frick Museum in New York and Library of Congress in Washington, and now returns for annual tours to North America. Other recent highlights include recitals at the Berlin Konzerthaus, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Vienna Konzerthaus, Hamburg Laeiszhalle and in Brussels, Frankfurt, Madrid, Moscow, Paris and Prague. In addition to their regular appearances at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the Quartet has performed at the Carinthischer Sommer, Delft Chamber Music, East Neuk, Grafanegg, Incontri in Terra di Siena, North Norfolk and Schwetzinger Festivals. The Quartet also enjoys a close relationship with Wigmore Hall in London. Further afield they have toured to Japan, Israel, Australia and New Zealand.
Highlights of the 2013/14 season include return visits to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Hamburg Laeiszhalle as well as recitals at Frankfurt Alte Oper de Singel (Antwerp) and in Hamburg, Madrid, Valencia, Bologna and Aarhus. Engagements across the UK include three performances at the Wigmore Hall as well as a continuation of their long term residency at the Wiltshire Music Centre. The Quartet will return to Australia in November 2013 to perform at the Huntington Festival and will tour New Zealand in July 2014. In April 2014 the Quartet will undertake its fourth consecutive US tour which will include performances in Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Tennessee and Montreal.
In 2009 the Doric String Quartet’s first CD was released to critical acclaim on the Wigmore Live label and was chosen as Editor’s Choice in Gramophone “The Doric’s Haydn sparkles with wit on their impressive [and] very auspicious recording debut”. Since 2010 the Quartet has recorded exclusively for Chandos Records. The first CD, the complete Korngold String Quartets, was released in September 2010 and featured as one of the 2010 Critic’s Choice discs in Gramophone, followed by string quartets by Walton in spring 2011 which was similarly enthusiastically received by the press and nominated for a 2011 Gramophone Award. The Quartet’s release of the Schumann String Quartets in October 2011, was named as CD of the Month in Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine and was shortlisted for a 2012 Gramophone Award. The Quartet’s recording of Schubert’s ‘Rosamunde’ and ‘Death and the Maiden’ quartets was released in September 2012 drawing plaudits from critics across Europe. Future releases will include works by Haydn, Brett Dean and Janacek.
Formed in 1998 at Pro Corda, The National School for Young Chamber Music Players, from 2002 the Doric String Quartet studied on the Paris-based ProQuartet Professional Training Program, where they worked with members of the Alban Berg, Artemis, Hagen and LaSalle Quartets and with György Kurtag. They furthered their studies at the Music Academy in Basel where they worked extensively with Rainer Schmidt of the Hagen Quartet.