The Bell Quartet was established in October 2018 by sisters Rebecca and Hannah Bell, Erik Fauss and Joseph Keenan. Later the same month, the ensemble attained a place on the Royal Academy of Music’s prestigious chamber music programme (the ASSET scheme), with mentorship from violist Garfield Jackson (the Endellion Quartet). The quartet has received further coaching from Natalie Clein, Jo Cole, Mats Lidström and Juan-Miguel Hernandez, and members of the Maggini, Doric, and Piatti Quartets.

 

The Bell Quartet won the Wolfe Wolfinsohn Quartet Prize at the Academy in 2019 and currently maintains a busy recital schedule as well as an ongoing relationship with Eton College, providing chamber tuition for their student ensembles. In addition to the traditional concert format, the quartet likes to explore alternative performance settings that transform the audience experience: for example, the quartet recently gave a recital 'in the round' at the Royal Academy of Music's new Angela Burgess Recital Hall. Other recent performance highlights have included a performance of Roxanna Panufnik’s Cantator and Amanda to Roxanna herself; recording a live music video with artist Matshidiso; and performing at Radlett Music Club. 

 

In their spare time, the Bell Quartet enjoys drinking tea and singing along to musical theatre at full volume.