Brooklyn Rider

Saturday 24–Sunday 25 February

'They are four classical musicians with the energy of young rock stars jamming on their guitars, a Beethoven-goes-indie foray into making classical music accessible but also celebrating why it was good in the first place.'
– Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Brooklyn Rider has redefined how we think about the string quartet today. Honouring the medium's deep historical roots yet continually expanding its possibilities for innovation and renewal, they find equal inspiration in musical languages ranging from late Beethoven to Persian classical music; from American roots to the endlessly varied voices of today's leading classical composers.

Brooklyn Rider is a twenty-first century reincarnation of the artist collective Der Blauer Reiter (The Blue Rider; founded by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc in 1911), who published an eclectic almanac of artwork, essays and music that offered a vision for the future and an open embrace of diverse traditions, media and aesthetics.

The quartet's 2023–24 engagements at leading concert venues and festivals around the world are a testament to their universal appeal: Brooklyn Rider will be Artist-in-Residence at the Beethovenfest Bonn; perform a triple concert cycle at London's Wigmore Hall; play concerts at the Kölner Philharmonie and Antwerp's DE SINGEL; and embark on their first Australian tour, which includes performances at the Perth Festival, Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House and UKARIA. Pick either one of their thought-provoking programs (or – better yet – join us for the whole weekend) and discover why they're being hailed as 'the future of chamber music' (Strings).