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“Because it doesn't happen often, hearing the chamber music of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven on period instruments can be a refreshing experience. Toronto's masters of the genre are the Windermere String Quartet.”
~ John Terauds, Toronto Star, January 14, 2010
The Windermere String Quartet was formed in the spring of 2005 to perform the music of Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and their contemporaries on period instruments, as well as new works inspired by the Classical period. The Quartet is known for its dynamic performances and distinctive sound. Violinists Rona Goldensher and Elizabeth Loewen Andrews, violist Anthony Rapoport, and cellist Laura Jones are well known to audiences as performers with leading period instrument ensembles throughout Canada and the U.S.; between them performing with Tafelmusik, Toronto Consort, Aradia, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (San Francisco), Aston Magna (New York), and many others. Along with their wealth of experience in Baroque and Classical styles, the members of the Windermere String Quartet have a wide range of musical tastes and have also been acclaimed for their performances with such groups as Sinfonia Toronto and Talisker Players and Klezmer music with the ensemble HuTsaTsa. These eclectic interests bring a freshness and passionate spontaneity to their performances.
The Quartet’s own series, the Windermere String Quartet Concert Series, was established to explore the well-known masterworks as well as lesser-known gems of the string quartet repertoire on period instruments. In addition, the series regularly features newly commissioned works, such as new Quartets by Canadian composer Alexander Rapoport and William Rowson. In 2009, the WSQ was selected to premier a new Quartet by British composer Geoffrey Palmer at York University’s International Conference “Celebrating Haydn; His Times and his Legacy”. In addition, the quartet has performed at Toronto’s Academy Concert Series, the Toronto Music Garden, Nuit Blanche, Toronto Early Music Centre’s “Musically Speaking” series, Stratford Chamber Music, and the chamber music festival Music at Port Milford. They have been Quartet in Residence at Music at Port Milford and CAMMAC Festival in Lake MacDonald, Quebec. The Quartet has enjoyed collaborations with horn player Derek Conrod, clarinetist Nicolai Tarasov, lutenist/ guitarist Lucas Harris and fortepianist Sharon Burlacoff.