MUSIC lovers can enjoy a thrilling voyage encompassing Dvořák and Schubert when the Albion Quartet play Bridport Arts Centre tomorrow.

This coffee concert, at 11am tomorrow, will see Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin), Emma Parker (violin), Rosalind Ventris (viola) and Nathaniel Boyd (cello) take to the stage.

Albion Quartet will be revisiting the West Country, having performed here for Concerts in the West back in 2016.

The ‘Albions’ are passionate about the chamber music of Antonin Dvořák, the majority of whose quartets are rarely performed - he wrote 14 in total. Indeed, the Quartet will be releasing their debut recording of Dvořák’s quartets later this year, the first in a series of discs for Signum Records. They will also be recording Richard Blackford's Kalon with the Czech Philharmonic this Spring.

Comprising four of the most outstanding classical performers of their generation - Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin), Emma Parker (violin), Rosalind Ventris (viola) and Nathaniel Boyd (cello) - the Albion Quartet formed in 2016 having played closely together at a number of different festivals over the years. They share a strong belief in the communicative power of the string quartet and have a well deserved reputation for creative and imaginative performances.

Not surprisingly they are much in demand as performers and are looking forward to future engagements that include recitals at Wigmore Hall, London, Belgium (Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth),The Netherlands (Het Concertgebouw Kleine Zaal), Sweden (Båstad Chamber Music Festival), and Germany (for Martin Randall Travel). You can catch them performing at some wonderful festivals, such as Harrogate Music Festival, Hay Festival, Ryedale Music Festival, and the Stratford Festival of Words and Music.

The Albion Quartet is currently Quartet-in-Residence at Gresham’s School, and opened Gresham's new Britten Concert Hall in 2017. In 2018 they embark on a number of new residencies: they are Quartet-in-Residence at London's Kings Place, the Sainte-Mère Festival in France, Honeymead Festival, the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and at Aldeburgh Music.

The quartet collaborated with bass Matthew Rose at last year's Aldeburgh Festival. In 2017 they also performed with violist Douglas Paterson of the Schubert Ensemble. In January 2018 the quartet performed with Miguel da Silva, formerly the violist of the Ysaÿe Quartet, in England and Belgium.

Catherine Maddocks, the founder and director of Concerts in the West, said: “After a two year absence we are delighted to welcome back the Albion Quartet, who play a stunning quartet of instruments, including a Stradivarius and Guarnerius. I love the programme that the Quartet has chosen to play for us. Most people will be familiar with Dvořāk’s famous New World Symphony and the American Quartet, but while these are obviously masterpieces, there are others that deserve to be played, such as the Quartet No 5 in F Minor, which has spellbinding moments. They will also be playing Schubert’s hauntingly melancholic Rosamunde Quartet. Altogether this will be a fascinating series of concerts, which I am looking forward to tremendously and I know that the Albions will do both composers proud.”

Concerts in the West’s founder and director Catherine Maddocks has an unerring eye for picking the cream of young classical music talent. The majority of the musicians who perform for Concerts in the West audiences are award winning performers, who have scooped some of the genre’s most illustrious and sought after musical awards and prizes.

Two recent cases are pianist Alexander Ullman (who performed for CiW in June 2015 and who will be returning again in October 2018 accompanied by cellist Michael Petrov) and the Maxwell String Quartet (who played concerts from 4-6 May 2017). Alexander has just won first prize at the 11th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition, receiving €20,000 and a Career Development Programme. While the Maxwell Quartet has won the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition 2017.

The Bridport Arts Centre programme will consist of Dvořāk String Quartet No 5 In F Minor, Op 9 (B. 37) and Schubert String Quartet No 13 In A Minor (Rosamunde), D 804, Op 29.

*Albion Quartet, Bridport Arts Centre, Friday, April 6, 11am. Call the box office for tickets.