12 Ensemble

Since its establishment in 2012, the British string group 12 Ensemble has earned broad praise from critics and listeners alike through its fresh methods, collaborative shaping of performances, and conductorless approach to ensemble playing. Founded by principal violinist Eloisa-Fleur Thom and principal cellist Max Ruisi with the aim of forming an ensemble distinguished by youthful enthusiasm for chamber music performance, the group has explored both traditional repertory and new music. Its concert activity reflects this range, encompassing appearances at major established halls such as the Barbican in London as well as, in 2018, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Berlin Philharmonie, while also presenting programs at unconventional spaces like a London warehouse roof in pursuit of cultivating fresh classical audiences. The ensemble received a PRS Resonate Award in 2018. Frequently collaborating with British composer Max Richter, including a three-day residence at the Barbican Sounds & Visions Festival curated by Richter, 12 Ensemble has additionally worked with violist Simon Rowland-Jones, cellist Leonard Elschenbroich, violinist Mari Samuelsen, and tenor Nicky Spence. Thom characterized the rehearsal process in a BBC Music Magazine interview with these words: "We do try to be democratic! Everyone chips in, but it helps that we've known each other a long time. The rehearsal process is something we've refined over the years; it used to be all free love and everyone having their say all the time, but we'd cover just three bars in an hour. So what we do now is work together a lot beforehand and find out the general direction of where we want to go." The group's 2018 debut album Resurrection, which had generated considerable advance interest, included pieces by Lutoslawski and Bryce Dessner—the former an homage to Bartók and the latter a commentary on the first—alongside compositions by Kate Whitley and John Woolrich. That same year the ensemble commissioned a new work from composer Oliver Leith.