ORFORD STRING QUARTET (1965-1991)
MUS 237

[48K]

Orford String Quartet fonds.  - 1983-1993.  - 60 cm of textual records.  - 521 photographs.  - 22 negatives. 

Administrative history
A renowned ensemble originally consisting of Andrew Dawes (first violin), Kenneth Perkins (second violin), Terence Helmer (viola) and Marcel Saint-Cyr (cello).  Denis Brott succeeded Marcel Saint-Cyr in 1980 and was himself replaced in 1988 by Desmond Hoebig.  Helmer left the group in 1986 and was replaced by Robert Levine, whose place was taken by English violist Sophie Renshaw in 1987.  The Orford String Quartet performed numerous concerts throughout the world, in countries including France, Austria, the Soviet Union, Australia and New Zealand.  Its vast repertoire covered the works of some 30 Canadian composers including The Final Silence (Bauer), Five Fantaisies (Morawetz), Paysage dépaysé (Morel) and Jacques Hétu's Quatuor à cordes no.  1.  The group also won a number of awards, including first prize in the European Broadcasting Union's String Quartet Competition, the Molson Prize and Juno Awards. 

Scope and content
The fonds consists of records pertaining to the group's activities during its last eight years of existence.  It contains, among other items, administrative correspondence; minutes and activity reports; applications for financial assistance and other financial documents; programme notes; tour itineraries and schedules; biographical and promotional material; documents concerning the Orford String Quartet Foundation, the group's 25th anniversary, the Juno Awards, etc.; photographs of Quartet members at different points in the group's existence. 

Immediate source of acquisition:  acquired from Quartet members in 1993. 

Restrictions:  none. 

Finding aids:  provisional description.