Consone Quartet - About

Being part of this community of incredible musicians is a huge privilege and a source of inspiration to us. The Trust offers so much more than just the financial award; the wonderful BBT team has created an environment of support, encouragement and guidance and the opportunity to realise projects that otherwise would just be dreams.

The late Sir Roger Norrington praised the British Consone Quartet as “a young quartet with a really big future. They play with perfect intonation, tremendous attack and impeccable historical style.” Primarily known as a period instrument ensemble noted for its interpretations of music from the classical and romantic eras, the ensemble is neverthelesss also committed to playing and commissioning new work. The Quartet regularly performs at renowned venues and festivals all over Europe and across the Atlantic in Canada and the Americas. In the UK it holds residencies at several prestigious festivals and regularly plays at those specialising in early music. Chamber music collaborators include esteemed singers and instrumentalists, such as Kristian Bezuidenhout, and the Quartet also has longstanding commitments to education working with students in some of Britain’s leading music conservatories.

The Consone Quartet has made good use of its BBT Fellowship to fund new PR photographs which have helped promote a number of other BBT commissioning and recording projects. BBT has supported the creation of two new works, by sought-after young composer Oliver Leith and veteran composer Gavin Bryars, the latter of which was also recorded. An ongoing studio project with Linn Records will provide a comprehensive exploration of Mendelssohn’s string quartets for Linn Records across three albums; the first was released in 2023 to critical acclaim, and the second in Autumn 2025.

Consone Quartet has been supported with a BBT Fellowship since 2022.

For a current biography please visit consonequartet.com or avantiarts.com

Press Releases: Mendelssohn String Quartets Vol I / Oliver Leith On a horse, on a hill, far away, through fog and bonfire

Photographs by by Rebecca Nead Menear, Becky Payne and Matthew Johnson