Albion Quartet

Tamsin Waley-Cohen violin

Emma Parker violin

Ann Beilby viola

Nathaniel Boyd cello

Formed in 2016, the Albion Quartet unites four outstanding young string players, brought together by a shared belief in the visceral power of the string quartet. Recent seasons include appearances at Wigmore Hall and Aldeburgh Festival, as well as continuing residencies at Sainte-Mere Festival in France and RWCMD in Cardiff. They have made a number of broadcasts for BBC Radio 3, whilst continuing their recording projects for Signum Records, for whom they are exclusive artists. Recent engagements have included performances at the Louvre in Paris, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Robert Schumann Gesellschaft in Frankfurt, Båstad Festival in Sweden, Festival of Music in Franconia and Rhine Valley Music Festival in Germany, as well as the Hay Festival in the UK. Their commitment to new music has most recently seen a collaboration with Kate Whitley for a powerful and evocative song cycle, the ‘Charlotte Mew Songs’, performed with soprano Caroline Melzer. The quartet has also premiered and toured a new work by Freya Waley-Cohen, co-commissioned by Aldeburgh Festival, the Phillips Collection and Sainte-Mere Festival.  Passionate about musical education, the quartet holds a residency at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where they regularly give masterclasses and performances in the Dora Stoutzker Hall. As a Cavatina Chamber Music Trust ensemble, they also give frequent workshops at primary school level where they are thrilled to share the magic of chamber music with children from diverse backgrounds. In 2020, they will be extending their educational work even further by launching ‘Friends of the Albion Quartet’, aimed at developing mini-residencies with schools in the state sector and in the special needs category to help these children to connect more deeply to classical music and find inspiration through experiencing music in an interactive and accepting environment.

The members of the quartet play on a fine collection of instruments, including a Stradivarius and Guarnerius.

PROGRAMME

Judith Weir (b.1954)

String Quartet

I. Serene

II. Con moto

III. Presto

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

String Quartet in E minor Op 59 No 2

I. Allegro 

II. Molto adagio

III. Allegretto

IV. Finale: Presto

Live Notes is presented by Dr Annika Forkert (Royal Northern College of Music)

https://www.rncm.ac.uk/people/annika-forkert/

Please visit us here for further information on The Blyth’s professional lunchtime concert series