Quartetto Ascanio
was founded in 2004 by the principle parts of the Orchestra da Camera del Trasimeno with the aim to play the wonderful quartet repertoire, under the direction of M°Elizabeth Graham.

Since then, the Quartetto had studied with many famous musicians, Emmanuel Hurwitz (Aolian Quartet, Melos ensemble), Hugh Maguire (ex first violin of the London Symphony, Quartetto Allegri), Mitislav Rostropovich, Rodolfo Bonucci, Quartetto Barcellona, Bruno Giuranna, Pietro Horvath, Demetrio Comuzzi (Nuovo Quartetto Italiano), Robert Cohen, Adrian Pinzaru (Delian Quartet),Quartetto Prometeo, Xenia Ensemble, Mihaela Martin (Quartetto Michelangelo) at the Hochschule für musik of Koln; Quartet Ascanio has taken part in numerous master classes and received grants to study abroad, for example at the “Concorda” course in Kilkenny (Ireland) in 2007 with the principle parts of the Irish Chamber Orchestra and Marc Danel (Danel Quartet).

From 2009 to 2011 has also had advanced tuition with M°Andrea Nannoni at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, and was later granted a scholarship to attend the Chamber music course at the Accademia “W.Stauffer” in Cremona with the Quartetto di Cremona.

As the principle parts of the Orchestra da camera del Trasimeno, the Quartet members have received many awards: first prize summa cum laude at the International festival “ Pro Archi “ in Nyiregyaza (Hungary) together with the special prize for principle parts awarded by Sandor Devich (Quartetto Bartok).

The qa has been invited to play in a great number of prestigious festivals all over Italy and abroad, for example the festival “Famiglia Artistica Reggiana” in Reggio Emilia in collaboration with the Ensemble Kandinsky,”XX Festival Internazionale del Quartetto d'Archi” in Loro Ciuffenna (AR), “Musica d'estate” Bardonecchia (TO),“Musica Insieme” in Panicale (PG), “Armonie della Sera” in the Marche region, “Tuscan Sun Festival” in Cortona (AR),”Cantiere Internazionale dell’Arte” in Montepulciano (SI) where they played first performances of works by Boccadoro, Taglietti, Oldrini, Portera (who dedicated his “Keygen” to the qa), International Festival “F.Pedrell” in Tortosa (Spain), Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, “Musica Insieme” in Panicale (PG), “Musica negli Horti” (SI), Concorso Internazionale di Composizione “Florence String Quartet Call for Scores” (FI). working with famous artists such as U .Pagliai, P. Gassman, S. Barbatano, M. Sollini, C.Pasceri, K.Jablonko.The qa has also collaborated with the composition class of the Musikschule in Düsseldorf “Clara Schumann” during a tour in Germany.

The qa has recorded for the label Sconfinarte (Florence String Quartet Call for Scores) and for Brilliant Classic (Ravel Complete Melodies in collaboration with ECU ensemble).