VA - Jewish String Quartets (2006)

Founded in 1977, the Bochmann String Quartet has toured internationally for more than a decade and been featured on more than 50 BBC broadcasts. The quartet has an active commissioning policy involving both established and younger composers. In 2000 it premiered Keith Burstein's The Year's Midnight with the Zemel Choir at St. John's Smith Square, London, which was repeated on BBC Radio 4 in January 2001 as part of a service commemorating the Holocaust. Other recent commissions include works by Paul Patterson, George Nicholson, John Dankworth, Francis Routh, and Stephen Roberts. The ensemble's commitment to music education has led to a residency at the University College in Worcester, England, public master classes and workshops, intensive courses for postgraduate students and young professionals, and the establishment of new chamber series for introducing great works to new audiences.