The world-renowned Brodsky Quartet have been performing at Kings Place in London this weekend, offering a complete Shostakovich Quartet Cycle to mark their 50th anniversary.
The group, who started out in Middlesbrough in 1972 as the ‘Cleveland Quartet’, now feature original members Ian Belton (violin)and Jacqueline Thomas (cello) alongside Krysia Osostowicz (violin) and Paul Cassidy (viola).
In addition to performing classical music, and in particular the string quartet repertoire of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Bartók and Shostakovich, they have collaborated with such legendary rock and pop figures as Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney.
My thanks to their manager Sarah Trelawney Ford who arranged for my complementary ticket for this afternoon’s concert, which focused on the Russian composer’s Quartets Nos. 13 and 14. It was a pleasure to meet Jacqueline and Paul backstage after their excellent performance and my thanks to the venue’s staff for their courtesy.
Photograph: Jonathan Stewart
