Brodsky Quartet

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Brodsky Quartet

Brodsky Quartet

Since forming in 1972, the Brodsky Quartet have performed over 3,000 concerts on the major stages of the world and have released more than 60 recordings. A natural curiosity and an insatiable desire to explore has propelled the group in a number of artistic directions and continues to ensure them not only a prominent presence on the international chamber music scene, but also a rich and varied musical existence. Their energy and craftsmanship have attracted numerous awards and accolades worldwide, while their ongoing educational work provides a vehicle to pass on experience and stay in touch with the next generation.

Throughout their career of more than 40 years, the Brodsky Quartet have enjoyed a busy international performing schedule, and have extensively toured the major festivals and venues throughout Australasia, North and South America, Asia, South Africa, and Europe, as well as in the UK, where the quartet is based. The quartet are also regularly recorded for radio and their performances are broadcast worldwide. Over the years, the Brodsky Quartet have undertaken numerous performances of the complete cycles of quartets by Schubert, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Britten, Schoenberg, Zemlinsky, Webern and Bartok. It is, though, the complete Shostakovich cycle that has now become synonymous with their name: the quartet’s 2012 London performance of the cycle resulted in their taking the prestigious title ‘Artistic Associate’ at London’s Kings Place and, in October 2016, Chandos released their second recording of the cycle, this time live from the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam.

The Brodsky Quartet have always had a busy recording career and currently enjoy an exclusive and fruitful relationship with Chandos Records. Releases on the label include Petits Fours, a celebratory album of ‘Encore’ pieces arranged exclusively by the quartet for their 40^th anniversary; a Debussy compilation including the quartet's long-awaited recording of the great Debussy Quartet; In the South, featuring works by Verdi, Paganini, Wolf and Puccini; New World Quartets, comprising works by Dvorak, Copland, Gershwin and Brubeck; the quartets of Zemlinsky, including the world premiere recording of his unpublished early quartet; a disc of Mozart Flute Quartets with Lisa Friend; and two Brahms discs, which includes the iconic Clarinet Quintet with collaborating partner Michael Collins, and the piano quintet with Natacha Kudritskaya. 2016 saw the quartet tour a new programme of original songs set to texts by poet Judith Wright, sung by renowned Australian singer Katie Noonan. The CD With Love and Fury was released to great critical acclaim in Australia. Awards for recordings include the Diapason D'Or and the CHOC du Monde de la Musique for their recordings of string quartets by Britten, Beethoven and Janacek, and, for their outstanding contribution to innovation in programming, the Brodsky Quartet have received a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. The quartet have taught at many international chamber music courses and have held residencies in several music institutes including, at the start of their career, the first such post at the University of Cambridge and, more recently, at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where they are visiting International Fellows in Chamber Music.

The quartet took their name from the great Russian violinist Adolf Brodsky, the dedicatee of Tchaikovsky's violin concerto and a passionate chamber musician. Daniel plays the “Ex-Rode” Guarneri del Gesù violin (Cremona 1736), kindly on loan from the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation; Ian Belton’s violin is by Giovanni Paolo Maggini, c.1615, and Paul Cassidy plays on La Delfina viola, c.1720, courtesy of Sra. Delfina Entrecanales. Jacqueline Thomas plays a cello made by Thomas Perry in 1785.


Note: The Brodsky Quartet last performed for us in 1984 during Season 38.