Primrose Quartet

MOZART, W.A.

Piano Quartet G minor, K.478

I. Allegro

II. Andante

III. Rondo

FRANÇAIX, J.

String Trio

BRAHMS, J.

Piano Quartet Nº2 A major, op. 26

I.  Allegro non troppo

II. Poco Adagio

III. Scherzo: poco allegro

IV. Finale: allegro

PRIMROSE QUARTET

The Primrose Piano Quartet was formed in 2004 by pianist John Thwaites (Head of Keyboard Studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire) and three of the UK's most renowned chamber musicians (Lindsay, Sorrel, Edinburgh, Maggini Quartets). It is named after the great Scottish violist, William Primrose, who himself played in the Festival Piano Quartet. Alongside performances of the major repertoire, the Primrose Quartet has researched widely the forgotten legacy of twentieth century English composers, and has revived a number of remarkable and unjustly neglected piano quartets. The Quartet’s award-winning recordings feature works by Dunhill, Hurlstone, Quilter, Bax, Scott, Alwyn, Howells and Frank Bridge. Sir Peter Maxwell-Davies wrote his Piano Quartet for the Primrose in 2008; this twenty-minute piece premièred at the Cheltenham Festival has proved very appealing, and was recorded in 2009 for the Meridian label.

In 2009 an exciting commission, born out of their strong Scottish connections and timed to celebrate Robert Burns’s 250th anniversary, was the “Burns Air Variations". The Primrose invited a number of their composer friends to write a short variation each on Burns' "By Yon Castle Wa", and the resulting 30 minute work received premières in Tunbridge Wells, at the Sound Festival, and at Kings Place. Sally Beamish, John Casken, Jacques Cohen, Peter Fribbins, Francis Pott, Zoë Martlew, Piers Hellawell and Stephen Goss are among those who contributed. 

Two new CDs were recorded in 2010 for the Meridian label: Richard Strauss Piano Quartet, Violin Sonata and Cello Sonata; Maxwell Davies' Piano Quartet, the Burns Air Variations and a previously unrecorded Piano Quintet by Dmitri Smirnov. In 2011 the Quartet recorded a CD of Fauré and Brahms piano quartets, performed on a piano chosen by Brahms, and a CD of Schubert chamber works was released in 2014.

For 2014/15 the Primrose was selected for the Making Music Concert Promoters' Network for a third time, and are being featured again in 2017/18. Another busy performing season both in the UK and abroad included an extensive tour of Denmark, visits to Germany, Bulgaria and Romania, and the première of a new piano quartet written for the Primrose by leading British composer, Anthony Payne at London's Kings Place. This season has also seen the recording of a  new CD of Elgar, Payne, Bowen and a CD of Brahms chamber works using authentic pianos. Their own festival in the Hampshire Village of West Meon is now in its eighth year, and the quartet was appointed ensemble-in-residence at the Battle Festival in 2016.

Leader of groups such as the Werethina, Edinburgh and Maggini String Quartets and renowned as soloist worldwide, SusanneStanzeleit has released more than 30 solo CDs.

As viola player in the renowned Allegri Quartet, Dorothea Vogel has performed widely throughout the UK and abroad.

Former principal cellist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andrew Fuller is also well known as member of the Fibonacci Sequence and Primavera.

In addition to performing relationships with the Schidlof, Maggini, Brodsky, Martinu, Dante and Emperor quartets, John Thwaites is duo partner to cellists including Alexander Baillie and Johannes Goritzki.