The Zorian Quartet was an English all-female

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinists ...

ensemble. It was founded in 1942 by and named after violinist

Olive Zorian Olive Nevart Zorian (16 March 1916 in Manchester – 17 May 1965 in London) was an English classical violinist. She was the youngest daughter of Samuel Hovannes Zorian and Ada Mary Zorian. Samuel was an Armenian hosiery manufacturer and music ...

. It gave the

premiere A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition. A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...

performances of, and made the first recordings of, several compositions for string quartet by English composers, including

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

and Michael Tippett. It also gave the premiere English performances of quartets by

Ernest Bloch Ernest Bloch (July 24, 1880 – July 15, 1959) was a Swiss-born American composer. Bloch was a preeminent artist in his day, and left a lasting legacy. He is recognized as one of the greatest Swiss composers in history. As well as producing music ...

and

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as H ...

. The original members were Olive Zorian (191665, violin I); Marjorie Lavers (violin II);

Winifred Copperwheat Winifred May Copperwheat (10 October 190523 February 1976) was an English classical music, classical viola player and teacher. She studied under English violist Lionel Tertis at the Royal Academy of Music. Tertis later said after one of her rec ...

(190576,

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

); and Norina Semino (

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

). Some sources say that the quartet disbanded in 1949. Other sources say that it continued to perform for at least another ten years. The later date is supported by evidence that the violinist Frances Mason and the cellist Eleanor Warren were members of the Zorian Quartet in the 1950s.

Notable performances and recordings

* 27 March 1943Tippett, String Quartet No. 2; premiere, Wigmore Hall, London; 1947, premiere recording * 3 July 1944

Priaulx Rainier Ivy Priaulx Rainier (3 February 190310 October 1986) was a South African-British composer. Although she lived most of her life in England and died in France, her compositional style was strongly influenced by the African music remembered from he ...

, String Quartet in C; premiere, Wigmore Hall * 5 March 1945

Doreen Carwithen Doreen Mary Carwithen (15 November 19225 January 2003) was a British composer of classical and film music. She was also known as Mary Alwyn following her marriage to William Alwyn. Biography Doreen Carwithen was born at 8, High Street, Haddenham, ...

, String Quartet No. 1; premiere, Duke's Hall,

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

* 23 July 1945

Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, (; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

, song cycle ''

On Wenlock Edge ''On Wenlock Edge'' is a song cycle composed in 1909 by Ralph Vaughan Williams for tenor, piano and string quartet. The cycle comprises settings of six poems from A. E. Housman's 1896 collection '' A Shropshire Lad''. A typical performance la ...

'' for voice, piano and string quartet, with Benjamin Britten (piano) and Peter Pears (tenor);

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

78rpm recording * 21 November 1945Britten, String Quartet No. 2; premiere, Wigmore Hall; 1946, premiere recording His Master's Voice 78rpm C.3539 * 1946

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...

, ''Fantasia upon One Note'' Z.745 for string ensemble, with Benjamin Britten (second viola); His Master's Voice 78rpm recording C.3539 * 19 October 1946Tippett, String Quartet No. 3; premiere, Wigmore Hall * 1948 at the first Aldeburgh Festival: Tippett, String Quartet No. 2; Purcell, ''The Golden Sonata'' (Trio sonata in four parts in F major Z.810, realized by Britten); Frank Bridge, ''Phantasy Quartet'', with Britten (piano)

References

External links

* * {{authority control, state=collapsed Musical groups established in 1942 English string quartets 1942 establishments in the United Kingdom All-female bands