© Joss McKinley

Alina Ibragimova, violin
Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux, violin
Emilie Hörnlund, viola
Claire Thirion, cello

Formed in 2005 and dubbed “a trailblazer for the authentic performance of High Classical chamber music” in Gramophone, this international ensemble performs music of the Classical and early Romantic periods on gut strings and with historical bows. The quartet’s unique sound—described in The Observer as “a shock to the ears of the best kind”—is highly acclaimed by audiences and critics all over Europe.

Recent releases in their growing discography includes Beethoven Op. 18, Mozart ‘Prussian’ Quartets, and Haydn Op. 33 (1-3) with future plans featuring Beethoven Opp. 74 and 130, and the second volume of Haydn Op. 33. Chiaroscuro Quartet was a prize-winner of the German Förderpreis Deutschlandfunk/Musikfest Bremen in 2013 and received Germany’s most prestigious CD award, the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik in 2015 for their recording of Mozart’s Quartet in D minor, K. 421 and Mendelssohn’s Second String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13.

Among the ensemble’s chamber music partners are renowned artists such as Kristian Bezuidenhout, Trevor Pinnock, Jonathan Cohen, Nicolas Baldeyrou, Chen Halevi, Malcolm Bilson, Christian Poltera, Cédric Tiberghien, and Christophe Coin.

Recent engagements included their enthusiastically received debut concerts at Vienna Konzerthaus and Philharmonie Warsaw, their debut at Carnegie Hall as part of their first US tour, and a return visit to Japan. Other highlights have taken the ensemble to the Edinburgh International Festival, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, London’s Wigmore Hall and Kings Place, Auditorio Nacional de Música Madrid, The Sage Gateshead, Auditorium du Louvre Paris, Théâtre du Jeu-de-Paume in Aix-en-Provence, Grand Théâtre de Dijon, Gulbenkian Foundation Lisbon, Boulez Saal, and Beethoven Haus Bonn.

The 23-24 season sees them with multiple appearances at Wigmore Hall, further visits to Kings Place and Boulez Saal, a return tour to Japan, and a performance at BOZAR Brussels. It also marks the culmination of their residency at Turner Sims Concert Hall.

Chiaroscuro Quartet are grateful to Jumpstart Jr Foundation for the kind loan of the 1570 Andrea Amati violin.