The Callino Quartet is widely considered to be one of the finest young ensembles to have emerged in Europe in recent years. They were formed at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in 1999 and immediately felt a deep musical affinity. Since then the Quartet has developed a busy international career and cultivated a wide ranging and eclectic repertoire. They have performed with many diverse musicians including the Belcea string quartet, double bassist Edgar Meyer, pianist Barry Douglas, singer Patricia Rozario, rock band Arcade Fire and jazz guitarist John Abercrombie. They have also enjoyed close collaborations with composers Kevin Volans, Edgar Meyer, Peteris Vasks, Alexander Knaifel, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Ian Wilson, Aleksandra Vrebalov and Kimmo Hakola on their works for string quartet. The quartet’s first commercial CD of works by Ian Wilson (2005) is followed by a recent recording of music by Arvo Pärt, Valentin Silvestrov, John Tavener and Alexander Knaifel for Louth Contemporary Music Society.

Winners of several international prizes and distinctions, the Quartet has studied intensively with Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet) at the Musik Akademie in Basel, Switzerland. They were also invited to Italy recently to work with the distinguished Hungarian composer and pedagogue Gyorgy Kurtàg. In 2010 the Quartet were resident at the Banff Centre in Canada and gave their Carnegie Hall début at the invitation of the Kronos Quartet.

The Callino Quartet take their name from the Irish air ” Cailin cois tSuir a me” which means Girl by the River Suir. This song was the first Irish air to be notated in the late 16th century and became known as the Callino manuscript. It is now on display in Trinity College library, Dublin.