The Schubert Ensemble

After 26 years at the forefront of British chamber music, the Schubert Ensemble is firmly established as one of the world's leading exponents of chamber music for piano and strings. Regularly giving over 50 concerts a year, the Ensemble has performed in over 40 different countries. In the last eighteen months it has performed in major concert halls in Europe and North America, including London's Wigmore Hall, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw Hall, Oslo's Konserthus and for the Coleman Chamber Series in California, and given a four-concert Brahms series for BBC Radio Three at St. George's, Bristol.

Last year the Ensemble celebrated its 25th Anniversary. The year began with a concert at LSO St. Luke's for the Barbican/BBC Judith Weir weekend (Telling the Tale) and a tour of the USA. It continued with a performance of six recent Ensemble commissions at The South Bank. The Ensemble gave two further 25th Anniversary concerts at Wigmore Hall in November, concerts in Luxemburg and Turkey, and a four-concert Fauré series at St. George's, Bristol, which has recently been broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Plans for 2009 include recordings of works by Martinu and Fauré for Chandos Records, the world premiere of a piano quintet by Jonathan Dove, several festival performances, and return visits to Moravia, Holland, Canada and the USA. They will also continue their residency at the Birmingham Conservatoire.

Alongside its busy concert schedule, the Ensemble has established a reputation for innovation in the field of new music, education and audience development. It has also built up strong relationships with many of the UK's leading composers, and has an impressive list of over 80 commissions. Its vision in combining education and new music initiatives led to the creation of the groundbreaking national project, Chamber Music 2000.