Wednsday 15 July 2026 at 1.15 pm

Oxus

From the Steppes of Central Asia

Radcliffe Centre Church St, Buckingham MK18 1EG

  • Sergei Prokofiev - String Quartet no.2, 1st movement: Allegro sostenutoUkrainian trad., arr. Pinkevicius & OXUS - Oh Whose Horse is Standing

  • Dmitri Shostakovich - String Quartet no.2, 3rd movement: Waltz

  • Sam Post/Karshyga Akhmedyarov - Sketches from Kazakhstan, no.2: Kosbasar

  • Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - String Quartet op.11, 2nd movement: Andante cantabile

  • Armenian trad., arr. S. Azlamazyan - Mount Alagyaz

  • Alexander Borodin - String Quartet no.2, 1st movement: Allegro moderato

  • Luciano Berio, arr. OXUS - Azerbaijan Love Song

  • Myroslav Skoryk - Melody

  • Jerry Bock, arr. OXUS - Medley from Fiddler on the Roof

Oxus  is a string quartet with an eye for intriguing and unusual repertoire, performing music from all eras and specialising in 20th century and contemporary works. They have been playing together since 2006 and frequently perform with other artists and media in works such as Steve Reich’s Different Trains with electronics, The Juliet Letters by Elvis Costello and The Brodsky Quartet, Arts Council funded collaborative projects with installation artist Pam Foley, with Moonrakers folk group, and recording for a Japanese department store at Abbey Road Studios.

Oxus performs regularly in Oxford and elsewhere, in venues ranging from the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, to the stables building of a pub in the Thame Arts and Literary Festival, and the Ashmolean Museum. Other regular activities include giving workshops, working with youth and amateur orchestras, and coaching. OXUS was the resident quartet for the Wycombe Abbey School’s inaugural Chamber Music Summer School.

The musicians are all established performers individually, with musical activities ranging from orchestral leading and continuo playing to baroque and jazz performances. Together they strive to find different ways to present a wide variety of music, stripping away some of the formality which chamber music performance is perceived to involve.

Oxus  has produced two CDs: the first is Postcards from a String Quartet - a musical world tour - and the second is of the music in today's concert - From the Steppes of Central Asia. Both are available after the concert, at £10 each or £15 for two.