Edinburgh Quartet

New work commissioned from Helen Grime

news item posted 7 November 2012

The Edinburgh Quartet is delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Britten-Pears Foundation towards the forthcoming commission of a new string quartet from Scottish composer Helen Grime. This award will go towards the match funding required for the Quartet's 2012/13 Creative Scotland funding programme. The new piece will be completed by Spring 2014.

Celebrating Benjamin Britten

news item posted 7 November 2012

The Edinburgh Quartet is taking part in the celebrations of the centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth during this season with several performances of the composer's works. Throughout the year the Quartet will perform all three of Britten's String Quartets at the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh, as well as his Divertimenti. They will also be featuring these works at other venues, including the various universities where the Quartet appears regularly.

Their performance of String Quartet No 2 at Edinburgh's Queen's Hall on 3 October 2012 was described by The Scotsman critic, David Kettle, as follows:

"The highlight of the evening, though, was the Britten Second Quartet, the first of the Edinburgh foursome's tribute to the composer in his centenary year. It was a searching, sharply etched performance from the perfumed lyricism of the first movement through to the inexorable repetitions of the closing Chacony, over which the ghost of Henry Purcell hovered benignly. By the piece's grand and sonorous concluding chords, the players had ensured that their performance would live long in the memory."

Musselburgh concert re-scheduled

news item posted 7 November 2012

Further to our news item dated 28 August 2012, we are pleased to announce that the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh concert has been rescheduled for Thursday 14th March 2013 at 7.30pm. Full details are now available in our concerts pages.

Edinburgh Quartet to pilot Late Sessions at Edinburgh University Students' Union

news item posted 23 October 2012

The Edinburgh Quartet will present the first of three "Late Sessions" in the Lounge Bar, Teviot Row House in Bristo Square, Edinburgh on Thursday 8 November at 9.00pm. Admission is free.

The Edinburgh Quartet, renowned champions of British music, will perform Benjamin Britten's Divertimenti and Three Idylls by Frank Bridge in the informal candle-lit surroundings of the Lounge Bar, while audience members relax with a drink.

This concert is the first of three late night concerts in this venue which are supported by Creative Scotland, and are part of the Quartet's mission to provide experiences to entice all ages. The subsequent late sessions will take place on January 18th and March 1st 2013 and will feature the music of Henry Purcell, Nigel Osborne, James MacMillan and John Tavener.

Quartet Leader Tristan Gurney said:
"We're aiming to make chamber music accessible to new, and particularly younger, audiences by taking away some of the formalities that go with traditional classical concerts and offering chamber music as a more intimate, friendly experience."

The Edinburgh Quartet
Teviot Lounge Bar, Teviot Row House, 13 Bristo Square, Edinburgh EH8 9AJ
Thursday 8 November at 9.00pm
ADMISSION FREE

An exciting programme of activities for 2012/13

news item posted 11 September 2012

The Edinburgh Quartet is delighted to announce an exciting programme of activities for 2012/13 thanks to funding from Creative Scotland. The grant, which is from Creative Scotland’s Quality Arts Production investment strand, covers four key areas of work.

Firstly, an Edinburgh concert series which aims to substantially build and diversify the Quartet’s audience-base by giving concerts in three different settings -

• 3 concerts at Edinburgh’s prime chamber music venue, The Queen’s Hall
• 3 "rush hour" concerts
• 3 informal "late sessions" in the Lounge Bar, Teviot Row House, Edinburgh University

Download the full 2012/13 season brochure or see our concert listings for full details.

The second element of the Creative Scotland funding will support a CD recording of music by Haydn, Beethoven and Shostakovich for release by Scottish based label Delphian Records.

Thirdly, the Quartet will use this funding opportunity to fulfil its commitment to Scottish composers and new music by commissioning a string quartet from the Edinburgh born composer Helen Grime, to be completed by Summer 2014.

The final component of the funding has enabled the Quartet to appoint Susan White as its part-time Administrator. Over the coming year she will work with the Edinburgh Quartet and Edinburgh Quartet Trust to oversee the above projects and develop the Quartet’s profile both at home and further afield.

Musselburgh concert postponed

news item posted 28 August 2012

The concert previously advertised to take place at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh on the evening of 20th September 2012 has been postponed. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused, and plan to reschedule the event during the Spring of 2013.

Administrator (part-time) - Edinburgh Quartet

news item posted 29 May 2012

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced arts administrator to work with the Edinburgh Quartet, Scotland’s only professional string Quartet.

The Edinburgh Quartet has secured funding from Creative Scotland to develop a new concert series in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Quartet seeks to appoint an experienced arts administrator, preferably with a background in classical music, to promote and manage the new series of concerts in Edinburgh. The successful applicant will also be responsible for working with the Quartet members and the Trustees to secure additional concert dates for the Quartet and preparing applications for funding to extend and stabilise the future funding base for the Quartet.

The post is available immediately and is offered on a part-time self employed basis initially to April 27th 2013 with the possibility for an extension to the appointment, subject to additional funding being secured.

Further particulars of the post are available to download below, and applications should be submitted by June 8th either by email to or mail to:
The Chairman,
Edinburgh Quartet Trust,
1 Learmonth Crescent,
Edinburgh,
EH4 1DD.

• Job description and person specification

Beethoven in the Highlands

news item posted 16 May 2012

After a very successful year the Edinburgh Quartet is going to perform the entire Beethoven Cycle this summer in the highlands - an experience not to be missed! There will be a week of concerts based in and around Loch Shiel starting from 28th July and finishing on the 3rd August. It would be great to see you there to enjoy some of the finest music ever written in a truly spectacular setting. Please see our concerts page for times and venues.

Recent releases

news item posted 30 January 2012

Our recordings page now includes details of three discs released in the second half of 2011: a disc of Howard Blake's music on Naxos, a collaboration with Simon Thacker and the Nava Rasa Ensemble, and a release of Robert Crawford's String Quartets 1-3 on Delphian.

What did the critics think?

news item posted 30 January 2012

Recent reviews of both concert performances and CD recordings have just been uploaded to the press section of our website.