Quatuor Agate

Quatuor Agate play The Queen's Hall on Monday 30 November, as part of the New Town Concerts 2026/27 series. They're a young French string quartet, named ECHO Rising Stars 2024/25, and the programme they've put together for the night pulls from three different centuries. They open with Haydn's String Quartet in D Major Op 20 No 4, a piece from the late 18th century that sits right in the heart of the classical tradition. From there they move into the 20th century with Korngold's String Quartet No 2 in E flat Major Op 26, and close with Schubert's String Quartet in A minor 'Rosamunde' D804, a work from the 1820s that takes its name from one of his plays.

It's a good spread of eras to hear in one sitting, and it gives you a sense of how the string quartet has changed over time. The Haydn is the sort of bright, structured writing the form was built on; the Korngold brings a more lush, cinematic quality; and the Schubert is a late-Romantic piece that leans into a more melancholic, atmospheric mood. Hearing them back-to-back lets you hear the shift in style and scale across the three.

As for the quartet themselves, they're known for a blend of French refinement and high-octane energy. Critics have described their sound as warm and wonderfully refined, with impeccable intonation and a way of playing where the four musicians speak with a single voice. That's a good way to think about them: a young ensemble that's still early in its career but already playing with a shared, cohesive sound.

The concert starts at 7:30pm, with the box office opening at 6:00pm and the venue doors and bar from 6:30pm. Tickets range from £22 to £98, and those prices include a £2 fee per transaction. The Queen's Hall is at 85-89 Clerk Street, EH8 9JG.