recordings
Recording has been an important part of the SLSQ's artistic output for many years, the excellence of which has been recognized with two Grammy nominations, Canada's Juno prize, and the German Critic's award among others.
From 2009 to the present, the quartet has produced three important recordings of works which they introduced to audiences as world premieres. The first, "Sea to Sea," is a celebration on our 20th Anniversary of our Canadian roots in which we solicited proposals for new works from Canadian composers. Out of this, five compositions were chosen and commissioned representing string quartet writing from across Canada – literally from sea to sea. The second and third discs represent the fruits of the SLSQ's partnership with iconic American composer John Adams: his First Quartet, paired with "Son of Chamber Symphony" on the Nonesuch label, and "Absolute Jest", a concerto for string quartet and orchestra recorded live with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony on the SFS label. All three discs are available on iTunes and on streaming services.
The latest recording project of the SLSQ is a complete rendition of the six quartets of Op. 20, nicknamed the "Sun" Quartets, of Franz Joseph Haydn. This project, to be completed in January 2017, involves cinematic HD video as well as audio recording of these early Haydn masterworks. While CD's and a commemorative vinyl LP edition will be for sale through slsq.com, in order to make this music available to as many listeners as possible, the SLSQ plans on releasing the entire album for free on YouTube.