Winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society award for Young British String Players, the Ruisi Quartet has established a reputation as a charismatic and expressive ensemble, delivering performances that are “strikingly immediate, committed and direct” (Chichester Observer). Founded in 2012 by half-Sicilian brothers Alessandro and Max, the quartet perform regularly throughout the UK and Europe and have been selected as Kirckman Concert Society Artists for 2018/19.

Based in London, the group have given concerts at many leading venues, including the Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Brighton Dome and Conway Hall, plus appearances in Scotland, Spain, Germany and Austria. Dedicated to continually exploring and developing, the group have studied with a wide-range of leading musicians. In 2018, they have been selected for an Aldeburgh Chamber Music Residency (working with cellist/conductor David Watkin), and for the IMS Prussia Cove masterclasses with Thomas Adés. In 2016 the group were Quartet in Residence at the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival, and in the same year were selected as Tunnell Trust Award winners. They also attended the 2015 IMS Prussia Cove Masterclasses, where they worked with Ferenc Rados and Rita Wagner. For the 2013/14 season the group were selected for the ‘ChamberStudio' Mentorship programme at Kings Place, London. This allowed the quartet to work closely with mentor Simon Rowland-Jones, whilst also receiving masterclasses from some of the world's most eminent chamber musicians. They have also been lucky enough to work with Gábor Takács, Anthony Marwood, Levon Chilingirian, Pavel Fischer, Krysia Osostowicz and Peter Cropper.Recent highlights have included a tour of Scotland in 2017, live performances on BBC Radio 3 and the use of the Vuillaume 'Evangelist' instruments that were on short-term loan to the quartet. The quartet are grateful for the long-term loan of a specially made set of matching instruments by Harris & Sheldon of London.

Kazakh-British pianist Dina Duisen comes from a musical family. She studied in Kazakhstan and America before completing her Masters with Distinction at the Royal Academy of Music. A major prize winner at many piano competitions, including the 29th International Piano Competition in Senigallia, Italy, the Shabyt International Competition, the National Competition of Kazakhstan and the International Musician of the 21st Century Competition, Dina has also participated in a number of international music festivals in Europe, the USA and in Asia. She has taken part in the IMS Prussia Cove Master Classes and Open Chamber Music, Rome Music Festival and the Oxford International Piano Festival. She will make her debuts at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham, Cadogan Hall and appear at the 20th Anniversary Oxford Piano Festival in 2018. Her solo CD 'Mazurkas from Chopin to Adès' was recorded with the Grammy award-winning producer Andrew Keener.

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