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The London-based Castalian Quartet has announced its official dissolution after 15 years together. Its final lineup consisted of Finnish first violinist Sini Simonen, Welsh second violinist Daniel Roberts, US violist Natalie Loughran, and Welsh cellist Steffan Morris.
The quartet was established in 2011 studying at the Hochschule für Musik in Hannover, Germany. It won the 2015 Lyon International Chamber Music Competition, was selected to join the Young Classical Artists Trust in 2016, and in 2018 received the inaugural Merito String Quartet Award, the Valentin Erben Prize, and a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship. The Castalian Quartet also performed in prestigious venues including London’s Wigmore Hall, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, and the Berlin Philharmonie.
Loughran and Morris will continue to perform together, honouring the remaining Castalian Quartet commitments, and founding the new Adler Quartet which has yet to announce its full line-up.
On 12 September, the Castalian Quartet said its farewell in a social media post:
‘After 15 wonderful, life-changing years, during which so many of our dreams have come true, it is time to say farewell to the Castalian String Quartet. We could not be more thankful to all those who have supported us on this extraordinary journey – touring the world, playing the greatest repertoire, and befriending remarkable people along the way.
‘Our line-up may have evolved over time, but each member has had an indelible impact on the group; we are profoundly grateful to you all. It is beyond hard to say “goodbye”, but we do so with joy and anticipation for the future and all it holds for each of us.
’Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, and see you in the next chapter.’