This week's #RAArtistinFocus is the Borodin Quartet, who are currently performing in multiple locations across China. They are enjoying a return to the country following a successful tour there in 2023. They will play 12 concerts, appearing in major venues including the NCPA in Beijing at the end of this week, and the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre next Saturday.
https://en.chncpa.org/whatson/zdyc/202504/t20250402_273498.shtml
The music of Shostakovich features in each concert given by the Borodin Quartet on their tour of China. 2025, the year that marks the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich's death, also coincides with the Borodin Quartet's 80th Anniversary Concert Tour of China!
https://borodinquartet.com/concerts/
The music of Shostakovich, as well as being central to the programs the Borodin Quartet perform on their current tour of China, has also been an integral part of the quartet's discography over the years. Most recently, they recorded the composer's complete string quartets on the Decca label. https://www.deccaclassics.com/en/catalogue/products/borodin-string-quartet-complete-shostakovich-7373
The Borodin Quartet recently embarked on performing the complete cycle of Brahms & Tchaikovsky string quartets at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. A major feat, the cycle culminated earlier this month. Their performance of the music of Brahms and Tchaikovsky received great critical acclaim recently, after their performance at the Southbank Centre in January 2025.
https://www.rayfieldallied.com/artists/borodin-quartet
The Borodin Quartet will return to China in December 2025, with a Shostakovich cycle, to celebrate the composer's anniversary year.
