Carducci Quartet

Matthew Denton, Michelle Fleming [violins], Eoin Schmidt-Martin [viola], Emma Denton [cello]

Described by The Strad as presenting “a masterclass in unanimity of musical purpose, in which severity could melt seamlessly into charm, and drama into geniality”, the award-winning Carducci Quartet is internationally acclaimed as one of the most accomplished and versatile ensembles of today. Not only performing the core repertoire, the quartet presents a selection of new works each season and diversifies further with programmes of film music, pop, folk and rock, as well as concerts of music and spoken word.

Founded in 1997, the ensemble was a prize winner at numerous international competitions, including the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, and Finland’s Kuhmo International Chamber Music Competition. 

The music of Shostakovich has always been a particular point of focus for the quartet. In 2016, they took home a Royal Philharmonic Society Award for their project, Shostakovich15, an immense cycle of Shostakovich’s Quartets performed across the UK, North, and South America, with a marathon one-day cycle hosted by Shakespeare’s Globe, London. The project was accompanied by recordings of the 4^th, 8^th, and 11^th Quartets, before the 1^st, 2^nd, and 7^th Quartets (2019), and 9^th and 15^th Quartets (2024).  Recent projects have included ‘Shostakovich’s Letters’ with actor Anton Lesser – a programme based around translations of texts from the composer himself alongside his music. 

©Tom Barnes