Co-founders Geoff Nuttall (violin) and Lesley Robertson (viola) met as students while studying music in their native Canada. Christopher Costanza (cello) joined the ensemble in 2003, and Owen Dalby (violin) joined in 2015.

“Modern,” “dramatic,” “superb,” “wickedly attentive,” “with a hint of rock 'n roll energy” are just a few ways critics describe the musical phenomenon that is the St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ). The SLSQ was renowned for the intensity of its performances, its breadth of repertoire, and its commitment to concert experiences that were at once intellectually exciting and emotionally alive.

The SLSQ established an ongoing residency at the Spoleto Festival USA and made prize-winning recordings for EMI of music by Schumann, Tchaikovsky, and Golijov, earning two Grammy nominations and a host of other prizes before being appointed ensemble-in-residence at Stanford University.

The Quartet was especially dedicated to the music of Haydn, recording his groundbreaking set of six Op. 20 quartets for a free, universal release online as well as for purchase on compact disc and high-quality vinyl. According to The New Yorker, "...no other North American quartet plays the music of Haydn with more intelligence, expressivity, and force…” Fiercely committed to collaborations with living composers, the SLSQ's fruitful partnership with John Adams, Osvaldo Golijov, Jonathan Berger, and many others yielded some of the finest additions to contemporary quartet literature.

ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET

The St. Lawrence String Quartet (SLSQ)

Established in Toronto in 1989, the SLSQ quickly earned acclaim at top international chamber music competitions and was soon playing hundreds of concerts per year worldwide.

At Stanford, the SLSQ was an integral part of the rich fabric of life on campus. It directed the Music Department's chamber music program and frequently collaborated with other university departments, including the Schools of Law, Medicine, Business, and Education. The Quartet performed regularly at Stanford’s Bing Concert Hall, hosted an annual Chamber Music Seminar attracting musicians from all over the world, and ran the Emerging String Quartet Program through which they mentored the next generation of young chamber musicians.