Barbirolli Quartet
Rakhi Singh (violin)
Katie Stillman (violin)
Ella Brinch (viola)
Ashok Klouda (cello)
The Barbirolli Quartet is known for its diverse, prolific repertoire and dynamic approach to performance. The Times recently described them as "forthright, full-blooded musicians, afraid of nothing and The Strad hailed their "superbly realised performance" and "precision of ensemble at formidable rates of energy".
In 2008, The Barbirolli Quartet's achievements included winning a Tunnell Trust Award, being chosen for the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Recital Scheme and, most prestigiously, their selection by the European Concert Halls Organisation (ECHO) for inclusion in the 'Rising Stars' series. Following their nomination by the UK members of ECHO, this tour of Europe's leading concert halls in 2009-2010 will take them to cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne, Barcelona, Athens, Stockholm and Salzburg and will also include a recital at Birmingham Town Hall in the UK.
Engagements in 08/09 included Wigmore Hall, St. David's Hall Cardiff, Harrogate International Festival, Edinburgh International Fringe Festival, Manchester Mid-Day in Bridgewater Hall, St James's Piccadilly and St John's, Smith Square. Following their highly successful appearance at the Cheltenham Festival in 2008, they returned in the summer of 2009 in collaboration with the Australian String Quartet, and gave a series of recitals at Lichfield, Buxton and Ryedale Festivals. They also taught and performed at the Dartington International Summer School and appeared in the ROSL Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In November 2009, the quartet travel to New Zealand where they join the panel of adjudicators for the Pettman/ROSL Arts International Scholarship, and tour Singapore, NZ and Australia. In 2010 they make a further return to Wigmore Hall, following their recent selection by the Kirckman Concert Society.
The Barbirolli Quartet collaborate with eminent pianists in an ongoing cycle of piano quintets, covering the major works of Dvorak, Brahms, Schumann and Elgar, and they have also been joined by David Campbell and Timothy Orpen for performances of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet. The quartet has a keen interest in performing new music and in January 2008 made their Purcell Room debut as Park Lane Group Artists to critical acclaim. They regularly work in conjunction with new composers and recent premieres include 'Folk Music' by Joe Cutler and 'From listening to trees' by Emily Hall.
Formed in 2003 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, the Barbirolli Quartet brings together a wealth of experience, its founding members each having performed widely in their native countries of Canada, Wales and Australia before coming to England to continue their studies. They are now based in London. The Quartet has worked with Walter Levin and Louis Fima as part of the ProQuartet-CEMC professional training program, and in 2008 was awarded Artists Fellowships at London's Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying primarily with The Belcea Quartet.
The Barbirolli Quartet are very grateful to the Philip Carne Trust for their generous support and also to the University of Salford, where they give regular performances in the Tuesday Midday Recitals at Peel Hall as the university's 'Quartet in Residence'.