The Simón Bolívar String Quartet, made up of members of the System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela, embarked on a significant UK tour which allows them to display the talent of the Venezuelan musicians.

This tour gives the quartet the opportunity to participate in important European Festivals and export the finest chamber music produced in Venezuela.

The musicians of the quartet, Alejandro Carreño (violin), Eduardo Salazar (violin), Ismel Campos (viola) and Aimon Mata (violoncello) are also members of the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

On September 4, the ensemble performed a programme featuring works by Bach, Shostakovich, Halffter and Brahms at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh before a sold out audience.

"Our concert at the Edinburgh International Festival was a great success. The hall was packed and the audience gave us prolonged applauses. We had to comeback many times to take our bows and perform encores. This was the final concert of the Queen's Hall Series, which meant a lot to us,” Eduardo Salazar said, and then added: “The night before the concert we were interviewed by The Review Show, a BBC Two programme which is highly popular in the UK.”

On September 6 the Simón Bolívar String Quartet gave two concerts at the Queen Elizabeth’s Hall in London: a family concert and an informal late-night concert.  On September 8, they performed a concert – held also at Queen Elizabeth’s Hall – that opened the Southbank Centre’s 2010-2011 International Chamber Music Season.

On September 9, they will give a concert featuring works by Bach, Beethoven and Dvorak at the John Innes Centre in Norwich. Afterwards, the ensemble will perform in Liverpool at The Friary (September 10) and St. George’s Hall (September 11).

The closing concert of the tour will be held on September 12 at the church of Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Michael at Banklands in Workington. Works by Bach, Shostakovich, Halffter and Brahms will be featured in this concert.

The Simón Bolívar String Quartet has taken master classes with the Cuarteto Latinoamericano; the Berlin Philharmonic String Quartet; maestro Donald Willerstein, founder of the Cleveland Quartet; maestro Andreas Keller (Keller Quartet); and maestro Ulyses Ascanio, founder of the Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela.