RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet undertake Irish tour of ‘Flash’ performances.

07/05/2010

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Flash Quartet!
RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet undertake Irish tour of ‘Flash’ performances.

The RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet puts the flash back into classical music at The Square, Tallaght at 12 midday and the County Library, Tallaght at 1pm on Saturday, May 8th.

Deciding to challenge the all too familiar misconceptions surrounding where classical music should be performed and who should hear it, one of Ireland’s most successful ensembles is embarking on journey to various locations around Ireland.

Born out of a desire to bring classical music to new audiences, the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet are literally bringing their performances onto streets, to libraries, workplaces and galleries around the country… and even to the seaside!

Like all good ideas, this one has grown and the project has become one of experiment and exploration. What do we ‘think’ classical music is? Why do so many people feel that they won’t ‘get’ it? If we know that listening to classical music from an early age is enormously benefical to early development, why don’t we all encourage our children to ‘get’ it? The truth is there are all sorts of reason why people often don’t feel that classical music is for them. This May, the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet will show you how good this music is!

Love swimming? Love the Vanbrugh at the 40 Foot.

Love science? Love the Vanbrugh at the Science Gallery.

Love food? Love the Vanbrugh at the English Market.

Love books? They just might be at your local library….

Love music.

RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet

Gregory Ellis (Violin), Keith Pascoe (Violin), Simon Aspell (Viola), Christopher Marwood (cello)

Winner of the 1988 London International String Quartet Competition and now in its twenty-third concert season, the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet is one of Europe’s most successful quartets, internationally recognised for its beauty of sound, clarity of texture and integrity of interpretation within an unususally wide and varied range of repertoire. Appointed Resident Quartet to RTÉ in 1986 and with almost 700 performances in Ireland to date, the group has dedicated itself to bringing the wonders of the string-quartet repertoire to audiences throughout the country. At the same time they have built a thriving international career, with regular tours taking them throughout Europe and the United States. The quartet members are also Artists in Residence at University College Cork and founders of the internationally acclaimed West Cork Chamber Music Festival. In 1994 the Quartet launched the Vanbrugh Scholarship Fund, a charitable fund dedicated to encouraging the art of chamber music among Ireland’s talented young musicians.

In January 2009 the members of the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet were appointed lecturers in chamber music at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama.

The Quartet also has an extensive and critically acclaimed discography which includes the complete Beethoven quartets. Recent awards include the Gramophone Critics’ Choice in 2003 and Gramophone Editor’s Choice in February 2006.

/ENDS/