They became well known through their association with Dmitri Shostakovich, who entrusted to them the Western premieres of his last three quartets. They were also the first group to record all fifteen and perform complete cycles (in London, New York and Montreal). Also with Decca they have recorded quartets by Beethoven, Franck, Delius, Borodin and Sibelius, winning many international awards including the Gramophone Award for chamber music in 1977. Their Shostakovich series is included in the Gramophone "Hundred Greatest-ever Recordings".

Two members from the 1970s remain in the quartet, which was re-established in 1995 with two younger players, thus ensuring the ideals and traditions associated with the Quartet are preserved and continued.

In the early 1980s the quartet adopted historical instruments for Classical and Early Romantic music. They remain one of the very few quartets in Britain to follow this practice, and uniquely perform on both early and modern set-ups within the same concert.

The Quartet will give concerts in Petrovsky Zal of St. Petersburg State University, Kolonny Zal of the Russian State Pedagogical Institute, Bely Zal of Bolshoi Dvorets in Peterhof and in Agora cultural center on May 26, 27, 28, 29.

News source: www.fitzwilliamquartet.org
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