Dante Quartet

The Dante Quartet has established itself as a central force in British musical circles, maintaining an active schedule of concerts, radio broadcasts, and educational initiatives while also founding and sustaining its own summer festival. From its earliest years the ensemble has maintained a steady output of well-received recordings. Formed in 1995, the group comprises violinists Krysia Osostowicz and Oscar Perks, violist Yuko Inoue, and cellist Richard Jenkinson, who chose the name to evoke “an epic and adventurous journey.” Early engagements quickly led to repeated appearances at London’s Wigmore Hall and Kings Place, as well as at festivals throughout the United Kingdom; international tours have since extended to the Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Japan. Focused composer surveys have formed a recurring feature of the quartet’s programming, including a single-weekend traversal of all Beethoven quartets presented under the auspices of the Bromsgrove Music Society and a mixed-media project that incorporates dramatic readings to introduce Beethoven’s music to wider audiences. The ensemble has also worked repeatedly with the King’s Singers. Contemporary repertoire has received strong advocacy through first performances of quartets by Michael Finnissy, Roxanna Panufnik, and additional leading British composers. Teaching occupies a substantial share of the members’ activities; they established and continue to lead annual string-quartet courses in France and Cornwall designed for younger players. The recording catalogue opened in 1999 with an ASV release of Russian string quartets and has grown to include discs on Dutton Laboratories, Meridian, Hyperion, Signum Classics, Epoch, Toccata Classics, and Somm; the Somm discs of 2016 and 2018 were devoted to the string quartets of Charles Villiers Stanford. Recognition has included the Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Music together with several recording-industry honors.