The Chilingirian Quartet is one of the world’s most celebrated and widely travelled ensembles renowned for their thrilling interpretations of the great quartets and commanding performances of the contemporary repertoire.

The Quartet was founded in 1971 by Levon Chilingirian and Philip De Groote. Whilst each member is a virtuoso musician, their success as a quartet has earned them the Royal Philharmonic Society’s coveted Chamber Ensemble Award. The Chilingirian is 'Quartet-in-Residence' at the Royal College of Music in London, resident ensemble at the Lake District Summer Music Festival and in 2005 had a residency at the University of California at Irvine. Places on the Chilingirian’s annual chamber music course run at West Dean in England are eagerly sought by aspiring young professional and amateur ensembles.

The Maggini Quartet - Krysia Osostowicz, David Angel (violins), Martin Outram (viola), Michal Kaznowski (cello) – open their recital with the second quartet from Beethoven’s first set, published in 1801. Rubbra composed four string quartets, this one is from 1952: the Brahms quartet is another mid-period work, premiered in Vienna in December 1873.

With works by Schubert and Faure, the Primrose Quartet - Susanne Stanzeleit (violin), Robin Ireland (viola), Bernard Gregor-Smith (cello), John Thwaites (piano) - present two British pieces in their programme, the Bridge ‘Phantasy’ Quartet, an early work composed in 1905, and the London premiere of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ new Piano Quartet.

A trio of international soloists in a fascinating programme including Mendelssohn, Ravel and the little known Elgar Piano Trio, an unpublished sketch dating from 1886 when Elgar was not yet 30. 1886 was also the year Brahms composed his C minor Trio, the third and last of his trios for piano, violin and cello.

weblinks for: John York and Philippe Graffin

The Duke Quartet is joined by guitarist Tom Kerstens in a concert of bowed and plucked string music. Britten’s last quartet is followed by the Quintet by Cuban composer Leo Brouwer. Schubert would have often heard his lieder played on guitar by friends in the private house concerts in Vienna: his famous ‘Death and the Maiden’ Quartet based on the lied of that name, completes the recital.

weblink for: Tom Kerstens

The celebrated early music group Florilegium in a concert of baroque English masters, presenting a wide selection of vocal and instrumental works. Ashley Solomon (Artistic Director – recorder), Sarah Barnes (soprano), Simon Jones (violin), Reiko Ichise (viola da gamba), James Johnstone (harpsichord).

Frances Angell (piano), Jan Peter Schmolck (violin) and Richard May (cello). The Grieg Sonata was completed in 1887, just two years before Brahms revised his youthful B major trio, originally premiered in New York in 1855. The Fribbins Piano Trio was commissioned by the Austrian Government for Haydn Trio Eisenstadt and premiered in Vienna in 2004.

The famous Wihan Quartet in a programme featuring their native Czech music and opening with Mozart’s sublime G major quartet from late 1782. The Dvorak work in the last of his fourteen string quartets, premiered in Vienna in 1896.

International soloists Martino Tirimo (piano), Ben Sayovich (violin) and Daniel Veiss (cello) in a pair of beautiful Viennese masterworks, followed by Tchaikovsky’s mighty piano trio in A minor from 1882.

Musicians from the OSJ: Jan Peter Schmolck (violin), Frances Angell (piano), Jane Atkins (viola), John Hely (cello), Linda Houghton (bass). Their programme features the Piano Quintet by the Welsh-born composer Huw Watkins, the Franck Sonata - a late work dating from 1886 - and Schubert’s great Trout Quintet.

The Aurora Ensemble - Maxine Willis (flute), Gwenllian Davies (oboe), Andrew Mason (clarinet), Helen Shillito (horn), Constance Tanner (bassoon) - is joined by John York on the piano for a selection of pieces for wind, ranging from famous works by Mozart and Poulenc, to a quintet by the Bulgarian composer Marin Goleminov (1908-2000), and Debussy’s haunting flute solo ‘Syrinx’.

The Dante Quartet - Krysia Osostowicz, Giles Francis (violins), Judith Busbridge (viola), Bernard Gregor-Smith (cello) - won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for chamber music in 2007. Their recital begins with the second quartet by Vaughan William, composed between 1942 and 1944, followed by Haydn’s famous ‘Lark’. Beethoven’s late great Op.130 quartet completes our first autumn season in Kings Place.