Daniel Rowland, violin
Ian Belton, violin
Paul Cassidy, viola
Jacqueline Thomas, cello

 

“The Brodsky Quartet are the team for the new century” Gramophone
 
The Brodsky Quartet are at the forefront of the international chamber-music scene. Their love and mastery of the traditional string quartet repertoire is evident from their highly acclaimed performances of composers ranging from Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Tchaikovsky to Shostakovich, Bartok, Britten and Respighi, as well as from their extensive, award-winning discography.

 

At the same time, the Quartet are known for their pioneering work with a diverse range of performing artists, from singers Elvis Costello, Anne Sofie von Otter and Björk, to Complicite Theatre Company and Icelandic poet Sjon, while their many collaborations with distinguished composers, including John Tavener, Lutoslawski, Peter Sculthorpe, Django Bates, Sally Beamish, Dave Brubeck and Julian Nott, have given them an unrivalled opportunity to influence and inspire some of the newest work for string quartet.

 

Their passion to embrace “all good music” has been the driving force behind their success and has kept their approach fresh and their enthusiasm high for 30 years.

 

In March 2005 the Quartet was proud to launch their own record label, Brodsky Records, with the release of two CD’s: String Quartets Nos. 2 & 3 by Tchaikovsky, and the album ‘Moodswings’, featuring a broad range of songs for string quartet and voice. Recent awards for recording include the Diapason D’Or and the CHOC du Monde de la Musique for their recordings of string quartets by Benjamin Britten, while for their outstanding contribution to the world of music the Brodsky Quartet has received a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.

 

The Brodsky Quartet is named after the Russian violinist Adolf Brodsky, who played an important role in musical life in Manchester and at the Royal Northern College where the quartet studied.

 

Daniel Rowland plays a violin made by Lorenzo Storioni of Cremona in 1793; Ian Belton’s violin is by Gio. Paolo Maggini c.1615 and Jacqueline Thomas plays a cello made by Thomas Perry in 1785. Paul Cassidy’s viola is by Francesco Guissani of Milano, 1843, courtesy of the Britten Trust.