The award-winning Mercury Quartet comprises four rising stars of the UK’s contemporary music scene. Performing either as a quartet or alongside internationally renowned guest artists, they perform classic works of the 20th century alongside improvisations, new commissions and unknown masterpieces. Recent triumphs have included their debut CD on the Non-Classical label, and performances of Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and Elliot Carter’s Triple Duo in London, Oxford and France. Future engagements include a residency at the Dartington International Summer School in Summer 2010, a visit to the USA for concerts and free improvisation ‘gigs’ in New York and at the South by South West Festival (SXSW) in Austin (Texas) and a residency in the ‘Club Contemporary Classical’ (Berlin).

The Mercury Quartet was formed at the Royal College of Music (RCM) to realise a shared passion for Messiaen’s Quartet for the end of time. Their first performance in the RCM’s Recital Hall led to a series of concerts at venues in the UK and abroad, including the Jacqueline Du Pré Music Building (Oxford), St. Martin-in-the-Fields, St James’s Piccadilly, The National Gallery, Norfolk Music Room V&A Museum (London) and as guest artists at the Dinan Conservatoire de Musique (France). They also won a place as artists to be represented by the prestigious Concordia Foundation in 2007. The Quartet have appeared in such events and festivals as 'The Chelsea Schubert Festival' (2008), 'The Rosemary Branch Festival' (2009), 'The Vienna City of Dreams' Philharmonia and Esa-Pekka Salonen Festival (2009) and members of the quartet improvised with the London Sinfonietta and the London College of Communication Laptop Orchestra to close the Ether '08 festival in the Southbank centre.

In 2008 they won a major competition to discover new talent run by the Non-Classical record label. This led to a number of live free improvisation ‘gigs’ and a deal to record and release an album capturing their ‘unique and mesmerising’ free improvisation sound world. Free improvisation is an avenue of creative endeavour that is thoroughly and regularly explored in the group. They have recorded a soundtrack of free improvisation for a film from the internationally established video-event-artists ‘FL@33 project’, and have presented improvisation to a wide range of audiences, both in concerts alongside traditional music and as part of a series of avant-garde “happenings” devised by Matthew Lee Knowles.

In 2009 the quartet were invited to workshop and perform the compositions of the Doctorate composer students of George Benjamin at Kings College London. The Mercury Quartet demonstrated their commitment to the performance of new works when in October 2009 they commissioned a new quartet from Mark Simpson, former BBC young musician of the year and Guardian composer of the year.

The Quartet is taking up a week long residency in the acclaimed Dartington Summer School in 2010. There they will perform Messiaen’s ‘Quartet for the end of time’ and Schoenberg’s ‘Pierrot Lunaire’ (with Linda Hirst). In addition they will be giving masterclasses on these works and mentoring student chamber groups on the performance of contemporary repertoire, and more specifically the Schoenberg. Whilst in Dartington the group will be workshopping and performing the compositions of students of Julian Anderson on the advanced composition course.


Guest Artists
Rosie Coad (Soprano)
Sarah Cresswell (Percussion)
Olly Lowe (Percussion)
Julian Jacobson (Voice/Conductor)
Robin Green (Conductor)
Hannah Grayson (Flute)
Laura Lucas (Flute)
Carla Rees (Flute)
Michael Oliva (Electronics)