J. Haydn “Lark” string quartet D-Major Hob.III: 63 op. 64/5

“This is the Quartet's first release for Chandos and it couldn't be more auspicious.  Their playingis alive to every nuance and turn of phrase in these endearing valentines to the city of the composer's birth.  This is a most desirable issue of music with which the Doric are totally at ease.”

Described by Gramophone Magazine as ‘one of the finest young string quartets’, whose members are ‘musicians with fascinating things to say’ the Doric String Quartet has received glowing responses from audiences and critics across the globe.  In 2008 the Quartet won 1st prize in the 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.  The Quartet was represented by Young Concert Artists Trust (YCAT) from 2006-2010.

Since its formation in 1998 the Quartet has performed across the world and collaborated with artists including Ian Bostridge, Philip Langridge, Mark Padmore, Piers Lane, Kathryn Stott and the Florestan Trio.  In autumn 2010 the Quartet made their highly acclaimed American debut with recitals at the Frick Museum in New York and Library of Congress in Washington.  Other recent highlights include recitals at the Berlin Konzerthaus, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Hamburg Laeiszhalle and in Brussels, Frankfurt, Lucerne, Milan and Paris.  In addition to their regular appearances at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern they have performed at the Carinthischer Sommer, Incontri inTerra di Siena, East Neuk, Isle of Man, I Soloisti del Vento and Schwetzinger Festivals.  Further afield they have toured to Japan, Israel, Australia and New Zealand.

Highlights of the 2011/12 season include their debut at the Vienna Konzerthaus, a return tour to America in addition to a residency in Georgia, their first tour of Denmark and recitals in Hannover, Geneva and Prague. UK engagements this season include concerts at the Wigmore Hall, a “Music in the Round” tour and performances in Manchester and York as well as continuing their long-term residency at the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-upon-Avon.

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. The first CD, the complete Korngold String Quartets, was released in September 2010 and featured as one of the Critic’s Choice discs of 2010 in Gramophone, followed by string quartets by Walton in spring 2011 which was similarly enthusiastically received by the press.  The Quartet’s next release will be the Schumann String Quartets (autumn 2011). Future releases will include works by Schubert, Chausson, Bartók and Haydn.

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.  The Quartet continues to work with Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet).

The Doric String Quartet acknowledges the generous support of an Anonymous Foundation.