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The English String Quartet has a wide national and international reputation, with concerts and extensive tours in this country, Europe and the USA, and broadcasts for the BBC and radio stations abroad.  Many CDs have been recorded for several labels, including Chandos, Meridian and Unicorn-Kanchana, and the disc of Mendelssohn Quartets received the British Music Retailers Association Award for Excellence in Chamber Music.  The English String Quartet has been 'resident ensemble' at the Festival since 1995.  

The English String Quartet was originally formed in 1909, and in its long history its members have included some of Great Britain's most distinguished string players: the violist and composer Frank Bridge, the cellist Ivor James, and the violinists Marjorie Haywood and Nona Liddell amongst others. Diana Cummings took over the leadership of the Quartet in 1982.  She is a recitalist and concerto soloist, a leader of chamber and symphony orchestras, and a Professor at both the Royal Academy and Trinity College of Music.  In the same year her husband Luciano Iorio joined as violist: he teaches at the Royal Academy Junior Department and Eton College, has been member of several well known chamber ensembles, and is the Artistic Director of the London Festival of ChamberMusic.  Subsequently Keith Lewis joined as second violin and Tamsy Kaner as cellist.  Before joining the Quartet Keith developed his career in chamber music both in this country and in Venezuela, where he played with a number of ensembles and taught at the University of Valencia. Tamsy, who played in the Scottish National Orchestra and is now a member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; joined the English String Quartet after a wide ranging activity in chamber music.