October 4th 2026 – Angela Burgess Recital Hall, Royal Academy of Music

Kreutzer Quartet & British Violin Makers Association –
New Works – New Instruments

Presented by Kai-Thomas Roth, Peter Sheppard Skærved, Tim Baker, Neil Heyde, Julian Pindar

Admission is free: it would be useful to RSVP to this invitation to get an idea of numbers!

Or use: ptrshpprdskrvd@aol.com

An exciting and unique day of workshops and performance bringing together new works for String Quartet by leading composers, and the world of instrument making. There will be an opportunity to see and hear making processes and adjustment of new instruments, and exploration of the new quartets, with makers, composers and players demonstrating and in discussion.
The acclaimed Kreutzer Quartet has an unsurpassed track record of collaboration with composers, resulting in premieres and benchmark recordings of major works and cycles by leading composers, six of whom will be with us today (and one of whom is a member of the quartet). They have worked with the British Violin Makers’ Association for many years, and their annual Kings Place performances on multiple new instruments at BVMA Makers Day was the springboard for this project.

Performances – New works
Six major world Premieres. The Kreutzer Quartet premieres six works written especially for this project. Introduced by the composers and performers.
Workshops
Explorations and demonstrations of aspects of bow-making and lutherie alongside composers, makers and performers sharing ideas. There will be workbench ‘in action’, demonstrations of adjustments to violins and bows, in counterpoint to the explorations of colour and timbre in the new works.
The String Gallery of the Royal Academy Museum will be open to view during the day – a chance to see some of the great works from the Academy’s collection.
Schedule
1230: Concert 1 Kreutzer Quartet
(players & composers will introduce the new works)
Edwin Roxburgh – String Quartet
Mihailo Trandafilovski – ‘Ogan’
David Matthews – 18th String Quartet

1400: Opening the Workshop Door
Exploring sound and expression from the starting point of tonal adjustments to a violin. Luthier Kai-Thomas Roth demonstrates sound post replacement, in counterpoint with composers and performers responding in real time, and links to the instrument in action and the score.
1530: At the Workbench
The bow is the string player’s right hand, in every sense: Bowmaker Tim Baker, at the workbench, demonstrates adjustments to the bow, and the players and composers, explore the opportunities and ramifications for the instrument, for their music, in action.
1800: Concert 2 Kreutzer Quartet
(players & composers will introduce the new works)
Michael Finnissy – 4th String Quartet
Michael Alec Rose – 8th String Quartet ‘About Time’
Sadie Harrison – 3rd String Quartet ‘Grief Knots’
1900: Post -concert discussion
Composers, makers, players, exploring ideas and insights from the day.
Admission is free: it would be useful to RSVP to this invitation to get an idea of numbers!