THE FITZWILLIAM STRING QUARTET

Lucy Russell - violin
Jonathan Sparey - violin
Heather Tuach - cello
Alan George - viola

This season the Fitzwilliam is celebrating its 40th anniversary, having first sat down to play together as undergraduates during their inaugural term at Cambridge, in Autumn 1968. Their first concert appearance took place the following March, followed in June by their public debut at the Sheffield Arts Festival.

After graduating in 1971 they went straight to their first professional appointment, as Resident Quartet at York University, where they quickly achieved worldwide recognition through their close association with Dmitri Shostakovich, who befriended them following a visit there to hear them play.

The Fitzwilliam was one of the first of a long line of eminent quartets to have emerged under the guidance of Sidney Griller at the Royal Academy of Music, where they travelled from York every Monday for over three years. Since then they have performed across Britain, Europe, North America, the Far East, and Southern Africa, as well as making many award winning LPs/CDs for Decca and Linn.

Celebratory events are dotted throughout 2009, but most of their concerts this year will hopefully be imbued with a spirit of celebration!