The Quartetto d'Archi di Torino (Turin String Quartet) has been participating in the most important musical seasons for more than twenty years. Born and nurtured under the guidance of Piero Farulli, Andrea Nannoni, Milan Skampa and György Kurtág and from the beginning supported by "De Sono - Associazione per la musica", the ensemble became Quartet in Residence at the Istituto Universitario Europeo di Firenze (European University Institute of Florence) in 1990, obtained the "Diploma of Honour" at the Siena Accademia Musicale Chigiana and susbsequently won second prize at the "Fourth International Competition for String Quartet" in Cremona (1993). Moreover, at the International competition "Vittorio Gui" in Florence, the Quartet gained Second Prize as the best qualified quartet and the audience prize in 1994. In 1997 the Quartet received a special commendation from the jury of the "XIXème Concours International de Quatuor à Cordes d'Evian" and in 1999 was awarded the prize for artistic merit from the city of Turin. The Quartet takes part in the most important concert seasons and international festivals (eg. at the 23rd Zagabria Biennial, it performed the complete quartets of Giacinto Scelsi, and, more recently, at the Archiphel Festival in Geneva). It broadcasts regularly in Italy and abroad (Radio Tre, Rai Tre, Telepiù
3, R.T.B.F., Radio 3 Bruxelles, France Musique, B.B.C., Radio Clàsica Madrid, Radio Slovenija, Radio Zagabria). Among the ensemble's digital recordings figure a CD of music from Mitteleuropa (Webern, Berg, Janá), a CD dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi with the quartet in E minor and the transcription of Un ballo in maschera (both produced by De Sono). The general public became familiar with the Turin String
Quartet thanks to the soundtrack of Gabriele Salvatores film "Io non ho paura" composed by Ezio Bosso (2002) which is often performed as a suite in concert by the Quartet. They have continued to collaborate with Ezio Bosso, producing a recording of "The ways of thousand and one comet" (2004), "Lettere IV Quartetto" (2004) and The Lodger (2005).
In march 2008 Gianluca Turconi joined the Quartet as first violin.
The Turin Quartet has also worked with Olga Arzilli, Giovanni Bellucci, Valentin Berlinsky, Lucia Castellani. With Aldo Ciccolini they recorded a CD for the Phoenix label, dedicated to Guido Alberto Fano.
Other collaborations have occurred with Sergio Delmastro, Enrico Dindo, Piero Farulli, Giuseppe Garbarino, Roberta Gottardi, Andrea Nannoni, Tiziano Mealli, Mariaclara Monetti, Frederic Zigante, Antonello Farulli and as an octet with the Skampa Quartet. The ensemble performed Mozart quartets in Mexico City and in the concert season of the Pinerolo Accademy all the Beethoven's quartets.
Is among the few quartets worldwide to perform regularly Morton Feldman's Second String Quartet, the longest quartet in history of music and cult contemporary work that lasts more than six hours.