Alkyona Quartet

The Alkyona Quartet present fresh imaginative interpretations of both well-known and hidden gems of the string quartet repertoire. They are well known for their warm connection to audiences and vivacious performances, and are ‘as vibrant and memorable as their ‘Kingfisher’ namesake’.

The quartet were Tunnell Trust Award Holders 2020/21 and Making Music Selected Artists 2020-2021, and have performed in many leading UK venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields, St John Smith Square and the Royal Albert Hall. They were New Generation Artists at the Stift International Music Festival 2019 and residents at Music at Brel the same year, as well as being featured at the Huygens Festival in 2020 and 2021 (broadcast live on Dutch TV channel Midvliet).

The quartet love collaborations across the arts and this year hold a residency at Leighton House Museum, London where they have been running events, concerts and salons both online and in person. They released their debut album, ‘Intimate Letters’ in June 2020 in collaboration with Cegin Productions.

As a quartet they especially enjoy cross-collaborative projects, working with film makers, Tabla player Kuljit Bhamra MBE, actress Saskia Reeves, percussionist Adriano Adewale, composer Caroline Heslop and actor William Marquez. The quartet have studied with Richard Lester, Marc Danel, Ben Hancox, Rafael Todes, Catherine Manson, James Boyd and Mark Messenger. The quartet is mentored by Marc Danel of the Danel Quartet in  Holland as part of the National String Quartet Academy, and took part in the European Chamber Music Academy 2020.

The quartet is grateful for sponsorship for their studies and projects to the RCM Director’s Fund; The Tunnell Trust; the Dutch National Music Instrument Foundation for the loan of Jobine’s C.18th  Lefebvre cello.