The Rusquartet was formed in 2000 at Academic Music College of the Chaikovsky Moscow State Conservatoire. In 2000 they became prize-winners of the Beethoven Festival in Moscow. Since then they are scholarship-holders of ‘ New Names’ Charity Programme. They’re currently studying with Prof. Shebalin at the Moscow State Conservatoire.

Collective structure:

• Anna Snezhia, violin;
• Anna Yanchishina, violin;
• Alexander Mitinsky, viola;
• Alexandr Dulov, cello.

«Rusquartet» was formed in 2000 at the Academic College of Music of Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky Conservatory on the course of Soboleva G.V. In the same year it participated in Beethoven Festival in Moscow, where it received the diploma. Since entering the Moscow Conservatory (2002) and up to the present moment, the quartet qualifies in the class of the Professor Shebalin D.V., People’s Artist of Russia. In this period «Rusquartet» has achieved considerable success. In September 2006, it was honoured with the first prize at the contest dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Shostakovich in Germany (Rheinsberg). In 2007 it entered the top ten string quartets invited to the Banff International String Quartet Competition (Canada), and this then it is permanent participant of the festivals in Canada. In October 2008, it became the winner of the VIII International Shostakovich String Quartets Competition in Moscow. In November 2008 – winner of a prize of the Tromp International Music Competition (the Netherlands). In 2008 the International Union of Musicians and the Chamber Music Association awarded the quartet with the T. A. Gaydamovich grant “For Achievements in Chamber Ensemble Performance”.

During the existence «Rusquartet» received lessons from the best Russian and foreign performers. Henk Guittart (Holland, Schoenberg Quartet) became one of the permanent teachers of the quartet. Also, the quartet held master-classes of such outstanding musicians as: Valentin Berlinsky (Borodin Quartet), Igor Naidin (Borodin Quartet), Joel Smirnoff (Juilliard String Quartet), Philip Setzer (Emerson String Quartet), Don Weilerstein (Cleveland Quartet), Gabor Takasc (Takasc String Quartet), Barry Shiffman (St. Lawrence String Quartet), Mark Steinberg (Brentano String Quartet), Denis Brott (Orford String Quartet).

«Rusquartet» collaborated with the Glinka Quartet, Yankelevich Quartet, Dolce Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, Stephen Prutsman (Piano), Andrés Díaz (Cello), Kevin Kwan Loucks (Piano).

The team is actively promoting the music of contemporary composers and rarely performed compositions. They are both compositions of famous Russian composers («Concordia discordans» of Andrei Eshpai and a string quintet for two violins, two violas and a cello of Alexander Lokshin) and compositions of foreign composers such as: Lex van Delden (the Netherlands), Kelly-Marie Murphy (Canada), Steve Martland (Great Britain), Jonathan Dove (Great Britain). Louis Andriessen (The Netherlands) highly appreciated the professionalism of the team, when «Rusquartet» gave all of his five quartets in March 2009 in Vancouver at the festival dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the composer.

«Rusquartet» acts in many halls of Moscow, including the Great, Small, Rachmaninov Halls of Moscow State Conservatory. It is member of International competitions and festivals in France and Italy. In 2009 «Rusquartet» became the participants of the concert, organized for the Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, from whom it earned honorific mention and the highest estimate. The quartet repertoire is vast, varied and includes music of different styles and epochs.