The Coull Quartet was formed in 1974 by students at the Royal Academy of Music and rapidly achieved recognition as one of Britain’s leading string quartets. They soon established themselves nationally and internationally, performing regularly in concerts and radio broadcasts in Britain, Western Europe and the USA, and touring India, China, South America and Australia. The Strad praised a performance in New York for ‘…. the group’s precision, intonation and balance [which] defied criticism. This was a wonderful afternoon’.

Since the mid-1980s the Coull Quartet has made over 30 recordings featuring a wide selection of the repertoire closest to their hearts, from the complete Mendelssohn and Schubert quartets to 20th century and contemporary British chamber music. Their CD of quartets by Maw and Britten on the Somm label received universal acclaim; in addition to being featured in ‘Editor’s Choice’ in The Gramophone, it was also described as the ‘Benchmark Recording’ by BBC Music Magazine.

They will open their concert with Haydn’’s sparkling Op.74, No.1 quartet which is full of harmonic surprises and ending in a brilliant, energetic romp. The repressive background to Shostakovich’s musical career in the Soviet Union is well-known. Its effect on the composition of his majestic 4th quartet is evident in his choice of folk idioms, especially Jewish ones. It was a way for him to write politically acceptable yet deep and significant music. Today’s concert is completed by Dvořák’s 9th quartet, a piece also containing fragments of lively Eastern European folk dances yet one that is infused with wistfulness.

This concert by the Coull Quartet promises to be another ‘wonderful afternoon’ of chamber music at its best.

Roger Coull (violin), Philip Gallaway (violin), Jonathan Barritt (viola), Nicholas Roberts (cello)