Times laments lost leader

From the Times obituary of the sadly missed Laura Samuel:

… During her first weeks studying violin at the Royal College of Music with Itzhak Rashkovsky she met the Romanian violinist Corina Belcea. Together they founded the Belcea Quartet, playing together for fun and with no pressure or expectations…. The college soon exempted the foursome from orchestral duties. “They wanted a quartet to showcase, so they decided to make us a priority. Of course, all our fellow students were pretty pissed off we got out of orchestra,” she said.

… by the time she graduated the quartet had become all consuming. For many years it was a “brilliant, thrilling and very, very intense experience”, leading to an international reputation, glowing accolades and awards. “Then, suddenly, it was 16 years later. I thought I would go mad if I spent my life with those same three people for ever more,” she said.

Full obituary here.