Brodsky Quartet & Laura van der Heijden Perform Schubert Quintet

As part of Memory Unwrapped, The Brodsky Quartet continue their Kings Place 2026 residency with one of their recent collaborators – the young cellist, Laura van der Heijden, to perform Schubert’s String Quintet.

This evening’s programme spans over two centuries of musical expression, showcasing the intimate yet powerful voice of chamber music through three distinctive works.

J.S. Bach
Originally composed for solo violin, Bach’s Sonata No. 3 is a towering example of Baroque mastery, combining contrapuntal complexity with lyrical depth. In this arrangement by Paul Cassidy, the solo textures are re-worked for quartet, beautifully illuminating the intricate inner voices and harmonic architecture. The profound Adagio and majestic Fuga are particular highlights, offering a blend of spiritual reflection and structural brilliance.

Benjamin Britten
Written in the final year of Britten’s life (1975), this quartet is both valedictory and introspective. Composed during a period of declining health, the work reflects a deep engagement with mortality, memory, and musical legacy.

Franz Schubert
Schubert’s String Quintet, completed just two months before his death in 1828, is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements in chamber music. Recorded with Laura, for Chandos Records, as part of the Quartet’s 50th anniversary celebrations, critics praised the collaboration as “cross‑generational magic”.

This event will last for approximately 2 hours, including an interval.

About the Brodsky Quartet

Bringing an unrivalled authority to the performance of the string quartet repertoire, since their formation in 1972 the Brodsky Quartet have performed over 3,500 concerts on the major stages of the world and have released more than 70 recordings. A natural curiosity and an insatiable desire to explore has propelled the group in a number of artistic directions and continues to ensure them not only a prominent presence on the international chamber music scene, but also a rich and varied musical existence.

Having recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, the Brodsky Quartet continue to enjoy a busy international performing schedule, extensively touring the major festivals and venues throughout Australasia, North and South America, Asia, South Africa and Europe, as well as in the UK.

The Brodsky Quartet have undertaken numerous performances of the complete cycles of quartets by Schubert, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Britten, Schoenberg, Zemlinsky, Webern and Bartok. It is, however, the complete Shostakovich cycle that has now become synonymous with their name: their 2012 London performance of the cycle resulted in their taking the prestigious title ‘Artistic Associate’ at Kings Place.

About Laura van der Heijden