Primrose Piano Quartet

The Primrose Piano Quartet was formed in 2004 by pianist John Thwaites and three of the UK’s most renowned chamber musicians (Lindsay, Allegri, Edinburgh, Maggini Quartets). It is named after the great Scottish violist, William Primrose, who himself played in the Festival Piano Quartet. Their award-winning recordings feature works by Dunhill, Hurlstone, Quilter, Bax, Scott, Alwyn, Howells and Bridge. Sir Peter Maxwell Davies wrote his Piano Quartet for the Primrose in 2008, which was recorded in 2009 for the Meridian label. Annually they tour UK and internationally, including Denmark, Bulgaria, Romania, Portugal and Germany. 2018 saw the première of a new piano quartet written for the Primrose by the leading British composer Anthony Payne at London’s Kings Place, with a new CD of Elgar, Payne and Bowen released later that year. In 2019 the Quartet released the complete Brahms piano quartets, the culmination of years of research, and recorded in the historic Ehrbar Saal, Vienna (where Brahms himself frequently performed), using three different pianos of the period from the famous Gert Hechner collection. The result has been hailed by critics as “revelatory”. The Quartet’s own festival is in the Hampshire Village of West Meon, and they are ensemble-in-residence at the Battle Festival. For further information, please see primrosepianoquartet.org.uk