A RENOWNED German string quartet plays the latest concert in the Huddersfield Music Society season.

The Henschel String Quartet plays at St Paul’s Hall in Huddersfield on Monday (January 21). Its programme includes music by Haydn and Beethoven.

The quartet was formed in 1994 and has won many prizes in international string quartet competitions.

Its current line-up features founding members Christoph Henschel (violin), Monika Henschel (viola) and Mathias Beyer-Karlshoj (cello) now with Daniel Bell (violin).

In their early years, the Henschel were quartet in residence at both the Aldeburgh Festival and at the Tanglewood Music Festival.

At the latter, they were coached by the legendary musicians Louis Krasner and Eugene Lehner, who had themselves worked with composers such as Béla Bartók and Arnold Schönberg.

Such expert guidance gave them unique insights into the works of the Second Viennese School.

In the mid Nineties, the Henschel Quartet were winners of no fewer than five prizes at International String Quartet competitions in Evian, Banff and Salzburg for the best interpretation of works ranging from Mozart up to contemporary composers.

These fine musicians have also won medals at the renowned Osaka International String Competition.

Highly acclaimed debut concerts in many of Europe’s prestigious concert halls helped to establish them as one of today’s leading string quartets. Constant critical acclaim has led them to an impressive international career.

The three founding members of the quartet were joined in 2010 by acclaimed chamber-musician, soloist and long-term member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Daniel Bell.

Daniel was born in Nottingham and grew up in Edinburgh, where he began violin lessons at the age of four.

He later studied at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and the Cleveland Institute of Music where he graduated with Academic Honours.

He has been based in Berlin since 2000 and for eight years was part of the celebrated Petersen Quartet.

Two years ago, the Quartet played at the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI and it has made three appearances at the BBC Proms.

Monday’s programme features Haydn’s Quartet in F op 74 no 2 plus two Beethoven quartets.