Since bursting onto the Canadian music scene in 2001 with a repertoire that leap-frogs across musical boundaries, and hailed for their “astonishing talent” (Musicworks Magazine), the Madawaska Quartet performs pieces from the mainstream to performance art, from the film score to the avant-garde, and from the baroque to the present-day. They have performed in such major international festivals as the Festival Iberoamericano in Puerto Rico, the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, The Elora Festival, the Toronto International Chamber Music Festival, the Indian River Festival in P.E.I., New Music North in Thunder Bay, and the “Music at Port Milford” International Chamber Music Festival. As well, the Madawaska Quartet was recently the first chamber group to perform at the Royal Conservatory’s astonishing new Koerner Concert Hall.

At home in Toronto they appear regularly at the R.O.M. Sunday concert series, the Music Gallery, Music Garden, Glenn Gould Studio, and the Lula Lounge. The quartet has been featured in the “Great Artist” series at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and have also appeared in CBC’s series “Music Around Us,” Beavervalley concert series, Waterford summer concert series, Leith summer concert series, and the contemporary music series at La Chapelle du Bon-Pasteur in Montreal.  At home in Toronto they appear regularly at the R.O.M. Sunday concert series, the Music Gallery, Music Garden, Glenn Gould Studio, and the Lula Lounge.

Past collaborators include Adrianne Pieczonka, Laura Tucker, Measha Brueggergosman, Leslie Kinton, Bob Wiseman, David Louie, and Glenn Montgomery. Recent projects include return visits to the Festival of the Sound, the Sunday Apres-midi series in London, the “Concerts Ponticello” series in Gatineau, Quebec, Jeffrey Concerts in London, Arts and Letters Club, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society.

As champions of Canadian composers and their works, the Madawaska Quartet has over 20 Canadian works in their repertoire, many of which were written for and/or premiered by the Quartet itself. The Madawaska String Quartet regularly gives workshops for emerging composers, which have taken place at York University, Array New Music Centre, and the Music Gallery. Madawaska String Quartet has also worked with Guild of Canadian Film Composers and the Canadian Contemporary Music Workshop and is the resident studio group for the Array New Music Centre.

In 2006 the MSQ launched their summer concert series at St. Andrew-by-the-Lake on Toronto Island. They also brought three lively and interactive musical programs for children on Toronto Centre Island summer of 2007. Their new initiative, “Madawaska School”, brings curriculum-based performances to the classroom for school children of all ages. Their enthusiasm for music education garnered the attention of the Canadian Brass, who invited them to record their “String Book” series for children, and also led to an invitation to give a workshop and children’s concert at Festival of the Sound.

Madawaska Quartet members have coached chamber music groups at the Royal Conservatory of Music Young Artists Performance Academy. The quartet has served as faculty of the prestigious Music at Port Milford international summer chamber music camp, the Kincardine Summer Music Festival and Lakefield Music. The Quartet also held the position of first artists-in-residence at Toronto’s Music Gallery 2004-6.

The MSQ’s new CD, featuring Schnittke’s Third Quartet as well as works by Anthony Gilbert, Bruce Russell, Mike Kane, Henry Purcell and Jose Evangelista is available on iTunes, The Sound Post, Atelier Grigorian (Toronto, Oakville and London, George Heinl & Co., and at Canadian Music Centre.