Marc Danel grew up in Lille, France, where both he and his sister learned violin with Jezdimir Vujicic. He continued his studies with Prof Igor Ozim in Cologne graduating with high hours in 1992.

In 1991, he founded the Danel Quartet, studying extensively with the Amadeus and Borodin Quartets, as well as with Pierre Penassou, Hugh Maguire, Walter Levin and Fiodor Druzhinin.

As leader of the quartet, he was major prizewinner of all the six competitions they entered between 1991 to 1995, including Evian, London and St Petersburg.

Since 1991, Marc Danel has performed 2500 concerts with the quartet including 25 performances of the complete cycle of Shostakovitch quartets and numerous performances of the Beethoven, Weinberg and Bartok cycles in the major halls in Europe, USA, Russia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South America and Central Asia. The quartet have recorded more than 20 CDs, garnering numerous awards in Europe and the US.

The quartet have championed the great but neglected soviet composer Mechtislav Weinberg, playing his quartets extensively since the ‘90s and recording the all of his 17 string quartets, (2009). For Weinberg’s centenary this year, the quartet will give 7 performances of the complete cycle of quartets, some of which the quartet have premiered.

Marc Danel is artistic leader of the Dutch National String Quartet Academy (NSKA), many students of which have won major competitions. A highly sought-after teacher, he teaches at CNSDM Lyon and IMEP Namur, and at Manchester University where the quartet are artists in residence. He has also given Masterclasses in Europe, USA, Japan, Taiwan, Bielorussia and has a regular collaboration with the National Youth Orchestra of Chile.

Paloma Bharucha – violin
Yuliia Sozanska- violin
Theo Hayward – viola
Cameron Walls – cello

Formed in 2024, the Scintilla Quartet are an exciting young ensemble comprised of musicians studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London. They regularly receive coachings from a plethora of world class musicians, such as Anthony Marwood, Marije Johnston, and members of the Doric, Castalian and Barbican Quartets.

Notable performances include a public masterclass with Lawrence Power, and a performance of contemporary music with the Academy Manson Ensemble under the baton of Colin Currie.

The Quartet recently placed 2nd in the Nina Drucker Haydn prize and 3rd in the Historical Women Composers Prize within the Academy. They were honoured to be guest artists at the 2025 iteration of the Halstead Music Festival, which they are excited to return to this coming summer. They successfully auditioned for the Frost ASSET Scheme and are delighted to work with their mentor Hélène Clement over the next year. Some of their more recent performances include the Ravel at 150 project and a harp chamber concert series.

Isabella Todes – violin

Jenny Clare – violin

Cara Barnes – viola

Oona Lowther – cello

Formed in 2022, the Slate Quartet performs a variety of repertoire, from classical to contemporary and have a particular interest in curation, working in a conceptually focused way – always finding a theme or idea that draws the programme together.

Taking pride in championing lesser-known and modern works, they actively programme composers from diverse backgrounds or rarely performed works into all their concerts. The Slate Quartet are passionate about collaborating with other artists, musical and not, often reaching a wide and diverse audience as a consequence, which is key part of their ethos.

They have performed at the Royal Festival Hall, the Petworth Festival and Leicester Cathedral amongst other large venues, and have played for audiences in the South of France as part of a residency at the Ferrandou Atelier.

Most recently, they attended the inaugural year of the Oxford Chamber Music Festival where they received coaching from Quatuor Ebéne and performed at Northend’s concert series, run by composer Phil Cashian. In the last year they have also recorded their first EP – Brett Dean’s ‘Eclipse’ (String Quartet No. 1) for Luminate Records which they are hugely excited to share with a wide audience upon its release in January 2025.

They receive regular mentoring from Jon Thorne (Oculi Ensemble) and have received coaching from John Myerscough and Alex Redington (Doric Quartet) through Chamber Studio, Isabel Charisius (Berg Quartet) and the Castalian Quartet.