Haydn: String Quartets (Recorded live at Wigmore Hall, January 2009)

Editor's Choice - Gramophone Magazine February 2010

"The Dorics might look as if they are scarcely beyond their gap years, but their first commercial recording shows them to be musically fully matured... The Dorics give us a direct link to the composer's genial and touching inventiveness; and, indeed, move us in the beautiful slow movements." Sunday Times, 15th November 2009 ****

In 2008 they won 1st prize in the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in Japan, 2nd prize at the Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition in Italy, where they also received a special mention for their performance of Haydn, and the Ensemble Prize at the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany.

During 2009/10 the Quartet return to Wigmore Hall four times, as Quartet and in recitals with Philip Langridge, Andrew Kennedy (for a world premiere) and Alasdair Beatson. Future engagements include recitals at the Konzerthaus in Berlin and in Lucerne, Brussels and Hamburg, return visits to Israel and Italy, and debut concerts in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and the USA.

This disc is the quartet's first commercial CD, and in 2010 they record their first CD for Chandos as part of a long-term collaboration.

"We are incredibly excited about our cd release on the Wigmore Hall Live label. This is our first commercial CD and it is an honour for our debut disk to be on such a prestigious label connected to such a famous concert hall. We are also very pleased to be able to present an all-Haydn disk as Haydn is a composer very close to us. The choice of quartets on the cd is also interesting as they give a glimpse into three different periods. The Op 76 no. 1 is a very famous work but it is a pleasure to be able to include two lesser known works. We are very excited by Haydn and relish the opportunity to share this excitement through this release" Doric String Quartet