RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet
Encyclopedia
RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet, also known as the RTÉ String Quartet, (Gregory Ellis, Keith Pascoe - violins; Simon Aspell - viola; Christopher Marwood - cello) is the resident string quartet to Raidió Teilifís Éireann
, Ireland's national broadcasting service, and Artists in residence to University College Cork and founders of the internationally acclaimed West Cork Chamber Music Festival. It is part of RTÉ Performing Groups
.
The RTÉ Quartet was founded in 1985 and won the London International String Quartet Competition in 1988. It is one of Europe's most successful quartets, internationally recognised for its beauty of sound, clarity of texture and integrity of interpretation within an unusually wide and varied range of repertoire.
Familiar visitors to all the main UK festivals, the Vanbrugh Quartet also broadcasts frequently for BBC Radio 3
and performs regularly at London’s Wigmore Hall
and South Bank
.
The Quartet enjoys a thriving international career with past appearances including concerts in Berlin (Konzerthaus), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw
), Hungary (Liszt Academy), Poland (Lancut Festival), Spain (Galicia Festival), Flanders Festival, Menuhin Festival, Gstaad plus numerous visits to Scandinavia where recordings were made of the complete Beethoven quartets. The quartet tours the USA on a regular basis with performances in Carnegie Hall
, New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington.
Hyperion released two Vanbrugh Quartet CDs of chamber music by Charles Villiers Stanford
. The Quartet’s recent recording of three of Boccherini’s cello quintets on Hyperion was featured as Editor’s Choice in Gramophone Magazine.
Other recent CDs include Metronome’s second CD devoted to the music of Belfast composer Piers Hellawell, a Black Box release of Ian Wilson's three quartets and a recording for Hyperion of works for quartet and soprano by John Tavener
. These recordings join a discography of twenty-one releases which includes the complete Beethoven Quartets and works by Haydn, Schubert, Dvořák, Janáček, Dohnányi, E.J. Moeran, Robert Simpson
, John Tavener, John McCabe, John Kinsella, Raymond Deane
, Brian Boydell
and Walter Beckett.
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
, Ireland's national broadcasting service, and Artists in residence to University College Cork and founders of the internationally acclaimed West Cork Chamber Music Festival. It is part of RTÉ Performing Groups
RTÉ Performing Groups
RTÉ Performing Groups is a group of five classical ensembles, part of the Irish broadcaster RTÉ. All but the Vanbrugh Quartet are based in Dublin .- RTÉ Performing Groups :...
.
The RTÉ Quartet was founded in 1985 and won the London International String Quartet Competition in 1988. It is one of Europe's most successful quartets, internationally recognised for its beauty of sound, clarity of texture and integrity of interpretation within an unusually wide and varied range of repertoire.
Familiar visitors to all the main UK festivals, the Vanbrugh Quartet also broadcasts frequently for BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
and performs regularly at London’s Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
and South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
.
The Quartet enjoys a thriving international career with past appearances including concerts in Berlin (Konzerthaus), Amsterdam (Concertgebouw
Concertgebouw
The Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
), Hungary (Liszt Academy), Poland (Lancut Festival), Spain (Galicia Festival), Flanders Festival, Menuhin Festival, Gstaad plus numerous visits to Scandinavia where recordings were made of the complete Beethoven quartets. The quartet tours the USA on a regular basis with performances in Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington.
Hyperion released two Vanbrugh Quartet CDs of chamber music by Charles Villiers Stanford
Charles Villiers Stanford
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford was an Irish composer who was particularly notable for his choral music. He was professor at the Royal College of Music and University of Cambridge.- Life :...
. The Quartet’s recent recording of three of Boccherini’s cello quintets on Hyperion was featured as Editor’s Choice in Gramophone Magazine.
Other recent CDs include Metronome’s second CD devoted to the music of Belfast composer Piers Hellawell, a Black Box release of Ian Wilson's three quartets and a recording for Hyperion of works for quartet and soprano by John Tavener
John Tavener
Sir John Tavener is a British composer, best known for such religious, minimal works as "The Whale", and "Funeral Ikos"...
. These recordings join a discography of twenty-one releases which includes the complete Beethoven Quartets and works by Haydn, Schubert, Dvořák, Janáček, Dohnányi, E.J. Moeran, Robert Simpson
Robert Simpson (composer)
Robert Simpson was an English composer and long-serving BBC producer and broadcaster.He is best known for his orchestral and chamber music , and for his writings on the music of Beethoven, Bruckner, Nielsen and Sibelius. He studied composition under Herbert Howells...
, John Tavener, John McCabe, John Kinsella, Raymond Deane
Raymond Deane
Raymond Deane is an Irish composer of classical music.-Biography:He was brought up on Achill Island and has lived in Dublin, Basel, Cologne, Berlin, Oldenburg, Paris and Fuerth....
, Brian Boydell
Brian Boydell
Brian Boydell was an Irish composer whose works include orchestral pieces, chamber music, and songs. He was professor of music at Trinity College, Dublin for 20 years, founder of the Dowland Consort, conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players, and a prolific broadcaster and writer on musical...
and Walter Beckett.
See also
- RTÉ National Symphony OrchestraRTÉ National Symphony OrchestraThe RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra is the concert music orchestra of Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
- RTÉ Concert OrchestraRTÉ Concert OrchestraThe RTÉ Concert Orchestra is one of the two full time professional orchestras in Ireland that are part of RTÉ, the national broadcasting station. Since its formation as the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra in 1948, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, has grown from a small studio-based recording group to...
- RTÉ Philharmonic ChoirRTÉ Philharmonic ChoirThe RTÉ Philharmonic Choir is an Irish choir, part of Irish broadcaster RTÉ. The current chorus master is Mark Duley. It is part of RTÉ Performing Groups.- RTÉ Philharmonic Choir :...
- RTÉ Cór na nÓgRTÉ Cór na nÓgRTÉ Cór na nÓg is an Irish children's choir. In May 2004 Máire Mannion took up the position of choral director. The choir is part of RTÉ Performing Groups.- History :...