RUSQUARTET was formed in 2001 at the Academic College of Music under the guidance of G.V. Soboleva, a great cellist from the Prokofiev String Quartet. The College is affiliated with the Moscow Conservatoire.
In the same year RUSQUARTET participated in Beethoven Festival in Moscow, where it was awarded the diploma. In 2002, the members of the quartet entered the Moscow Conservatoire, the class of Professor Shebalin. During the years of study, RUSQUARTET achieved considerable success:
In September 2006, the quartet won the first prize at the competition held in Germany (Rheinsberg) in the honor of Shostakovich’s 100th anniversary.
In 2007, the quartet was selected as one of the top ten string quartets invited to the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition (Canada), and since then it has become a permanent participant of the music festivals in Canada.
In October 2008, the quartet won the 8th Shostakovich International String Quartet Competition in Moscow.
In November 2008, the quartet was awarded a diploma at the Tromp International Music Competition in the Netherlands.
In 2008, the International Union of Musicians and the Chamber Music Association awarded RUSQUARTET with the Gaydamovich grant “For Achievements in Chamber Ensemble Performance”.
Throughout the years, RUSQUARTET musicians were given master classes by the leading Russian and foreign performers. Henk Guittart (Holland, Schoenberg Quartet) became its teacher. The quartet was given master classes by 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), and Denis Brott (Orford String Quartet).
RUSQUARTET collaborated with the Glinka Quartet, Yankelevich Quartet, Dolce Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, Stephen Prutsman (Piano), Andrés Díaz (Cello), and Kevin Kwan Loucks (Piano).
The musicians are actively promoting contemporary composers and rarely performed compositions. The quartet’s programs include Andrei Eshpai’s «Concordia discordans», two string quartets by Mikhail Marutaev, a string quintet for two violins, two violas, and a cello by Alexander Lokshin, as well as compositions by Lex van Delden (the Netherlands), Kelly-Marie Murphy (Canada), Steve Martland (Great Britain), and Jonathan Dove (Great Britain).
The Dutch composer Louis Andriessen highly acclaimed the professionalism of the team, when RUSQUARTET performed all of his five quartets in March 2009 at the Vancouver festival dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the composer.
RUSQUARTET performs in the best Moscow concert halls, including the Great, the Small, and the Rachmaninov Halls of the Moscow State Conservatoire. It is a constant participant of international competitions and festivals in France and Italy.
In 2009, RUSQUARTET took part in the concert in honor of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, who gave its performance the highest praises.
The extensive repertoire of the quartet is diversified and comprises music of different styles and epochs.