In the hallowed world of string quartets, where emotional depth and technical precision must balance in perfect harmony, the Fibonacci Quartet has emerged as one of classical music's most exciting new ensembles.

As they prepare for their upcoming performance at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate, as part of the Harrogate International Sunday Series on 6 April, cellist Findlay Spence has managed to escape a rehearsal to share insights into the quartet's journey, their unique musical chemistry, and the emotional landscape of their carefully curated programme.

"The others weren't so lucky," Spence says with a grin, referring to his fellow musicians who remain in rehearsal.

Read Andrew Palmer's interview with the quartet hereThe Fibonacci Quartet: Harmony In Four PartsThe quartet—violinists Kryštof Kohout and Luna de Mol, and violist Elliot Kempton—first formed at London's prestigious Guildhall School of Music. Spence, as the newest member, joined only 18 months ago, entering what he describes as an already tight-knit musical family.

"They were all students who just enjoyed playing together, and that sort of snowballed into something quite exciting," he explains. "We then studied at The Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid with Günter Pichler from the Alban Berg Quartett."

Joining an established ensemble might intimidate many musicians, but Spence found an immediate connection.

"It was very daunting. The quartet is like a family—you spend so much time with these three other people travelling and working; we really see each other at our best and our worst." Yet from the first notes they played together, Spence felt a perfect match. "That's a real privilege to find. It's very rare; there are plenty of quartets that don't get on, so we're very lucky to be good friends."

This personal chemistry directly influences their musicality. "What makes it gel is rehearsing and performing together in settings where you can't hide who you are or put on a mask," Spence reflects. "The relationships are very deep and meaningful, and if it's not with the right people, finding musical cohesion is impossible."

The Harrogate performance showcases a thoughtfully constructed program featuring Haydn, Smetana, and Beethoven. The quartet takes a democratic approach to leadership, with Luna de Mol playing first violin for the Beethoven String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor and Haydn's "Sunrise" Quartet, while Czech-born Kryštof Kohout leads for Smetana's String Quartet No. 1 in E minor, "From My Life."

Kohout's connection to the Smetana piece runs especially deep. "Kryštof has a real personal connection with the Smetana. He grew up playing Czech folk music and songs, and he is very much rooted in that tradition. For him, it's a musical homecoming," Spence explains.

The Smetana quartet tells an autobiographical story through its four movements. "It's a journey," Spence says. "The first movement depicts his youth and teenage angst. The second reflects Smetana moving into higher society and feeling that conflict between upper-class dances and the Czech folk tradition. The third movement is a love song to his wife, an imagined remembered first meeting, and the last movement is a fantastic folk dance which ends with the musical depiction of the tinnitus that plagued him later in life—like Beethoven, he went deaf in his later years."

Programming for a recital by a string quartet presents both opportunity and challenge. "We're spoilt for choice," Spence admits. "Every composer wrote what we think of as their finest works for string quartet, so there's no lack of options—which is fantastic and terrible at the same time." This abundance leads to spirited discussions during their travels. "Considering all the hours we spend on trains and flights, we use the time to discuss different pieces we would like to perform and what would work well together."

While the quartet shares considerable common ground in their musical tastes, each member brings personal preferences. Spence's interest lies in mid-20th-century works—"We've been performing a lot of Bartók, especially the fourth quartet, and Dutilleux's fifth quartet." Balancing their extensive performance schedule with time to learn new repertoire requires careful planning. "We try to prepare a little over two full programs a year, which gives us enough flexibility while allowing us to cover the bulk of the quartet repertoire over the next few decades."

The Fibonaccis draw inspiration from the great quartet traditions of the past, particularly the Czech ensembles. "We admire the Smetana, Janáček, and Czech Quartets that wear their hearts on their sleeves to convey raw emotion," says Spence. "It's not always the cleanest, most perfect playing, but it grabs you by the throat—a visceral experience."

Spence's own musical journey began modestly in Inverness on Scotland's east coast. "The cello was offered as an instrument to learn at my local primary school, and after just one lesson, I fell in love with it," he recalls. He continued playing until age 16, when he realised he needed to pursue it further. "I started having lessons with a teacher in Edinburgh, and everything snowballed from there. It all started simply, in a very ordinary way."

The quartet's extraordinary talent has not gone unnoticed. They are the only ensemble to ever win both First and Audience prizes at the prestigious Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition in Italy (2024). Following public finals at London's Wigmore Hall last May, they were selected to join the Young Classical Artist Trust (YCAT) roster. Additionally, they serve as the resident quartet at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where they teach and mentor younger musicians. "We're mentoring groups where we were not so very long ago. That's a real privilege," Spence says.

What makes quartet playing special for Spence is the collaborative interpretation that emerges from four individual perspectives. "We all come to it from different places, with different priorities and ideas. It's that friction between four interpretations coming together that creates something none of us could have conceived individually. It sounds a little bit cheesy, but that tension and difficulty is what allows a cohesive interpretation to emerge."

When not performing, the quartet enjoys good food, card games, film nights, and even tossing a frisbee—which they always pack for tours, and there’s plenty of open space on Harrogate's famous Stray.

As for what audiences can expect from their Harrogate performance, Spence promises an emotionally charged experience. "These pieces are incredibly emotional and personal to the composers. What we try to convey is something alive, in the moment, and spontaneous. These works need to be living, so when we're performing, we try to make sure we're surprising ourselves as well. Hopefully, it will be edge-of-the-seat stuff—that's the idea."

With their combination of technical brilliance, emotional depth, and genuine camaraderie, the Fibonacci Quartet seems poised to take their place among the finest chamber ensembles of their generation, one perfectly balanced note at a time.

To book tickets for the Fibonacci Quartet's recital on Sunday April 6th at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate,
Haydn String Quartet in B flat major, Op.76, No.4 ‘The Sunrise’
Smetana String Quartet No.1 in E minor, ‘From My Life’
Beethoven String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 131
click here.