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 has established itself as one of the leading string quartets of its generation. Founded in 1997, the ensemble has won numerous international competitions, including the Concert Artists Guild International Competition and the Kuhmo International Chamber Music Competition, and made its BBC Proms debut alongside VOCES8 in 2023.
Celebrated for its performances of the core repertoire, the quartet is equally committed to championing contemporary music and exploring the boundaries of the string quartet format. Its imaginative programming embraces film, minimalism, jazz, folk and spoken word, alongside collaborations with leading artists across music and theatre. The Carducci Quartet has performed at major venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw and the Royal Albert Hall, and regularly appears at festivals including Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Kilkenny and West Cork.
Shostakovich has long been central to the quartet’s artistic identity. Its projects include a complete cycle of the fifteen string quartets in 2015, featuring a remarkable one-day performance at Shakespeare’s Globe, which contributed to its Royal Philharmonic Society Award. The quartet is recording the complete cycle and also presented Shostakovich alongside female Soviet composers in a five-concert series at the Barbican. Its exploration of the composer’s life and work has continued through Shostakovich’s Letters, a collaboration with actor Anton Lesser combining music and the composer’s own writings.
The quartet has also developed a distinctive relationship with the music of Philip Glass and Steve Reich. In 2015, it curated projects as part of Minimalism Unwrapped at Kings Place, London, and its Naxos recording of the Philip Glass Quartets has attracted over 21 million streams on Spotify. The 2026–27 season sees the quartet continuing to explore the music of both composers, alongside projects celebrating their 90th birthdays.
Innovation remains at the heart of the quartet’s work. Its projects include performances accompanying the 1931 film Dracula with Philip Glass’s live score, Letters for a Young Poet with Concert Theatre Works at the Three Palaces Festival in Malta, and Irish Roots, featuring new arrangements of traditional Irish music.
Education and the development of young musicians are central to the Carducci Quartet’s mission, supported by the Carducci Music Trust. They are Frost Trust quartet-in-residence at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and Philip Carne Ensemble in Residence at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. The quartet enjoys working closely with young and emerging musicians through coaching, mentoring and chamber music projects. It’s family concert Getting the Quartet Bug! was shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.