Their repertoire includes Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Bartók, Janáček, Korngold and Britten, as well as the work of contemporary composers such as John Adams, Thomas Adès and Brett Dean.
[1] From 2002, the Doric studied with ProQuartet in Paris with the Alban Berg, Artemis and LaSalle quartets,[4] and, after separately attending music colleges, they came to the attention of the Young Concert Artists Trust in 2006,[1] where they were advised by Alasdair Tait.
[1][19] Myerscough states that while the Classical bows generate a quieter sound and require more work from the player, they increase the clarity, responsiveness and range of articulation.
[19] Toby Deller, writing in The Strad, characterises the Doric's work as having "clearly shaped phrasing, clean articulation, distinct voicing and uncannily immaculate ensemble playing".
[1] Charles T. Downey, in a concert review for the Washington Post, praised the quartet's almost perfect cohesion, and highlighted their "knife-edged ... clean, almost strident sound", which he attributed to a lack of vibrato.
[7] Harriet Smith, in a recording review for Gramophone magazine, singled out the Doric's "ability to reveal detail, though never at the cost of broader spans" as well as "their elasticity of phrasing, combined with an absolute confidence of ensemble without ever seeming overly obsessed with it".
[20] Paul Driverby, writing in The Sunday Times, described the Doric's playing as "flamboyant when called for, but not otherwise; vibrato sparing but beautiful; ensemble impeccable – a true togetherness.
"[21] Richard Wigmore, reviewing their series of Haydn recordings for Gramophone, describes them as "technically impeccable, commanding a wide palette of colour and dynamics" but states "they can be uncommonly free over tempo, occasionally to the point of mannerism.
"[22] Philip Clark, in a review of Haydn for Limelight magazine, notes that the quartet chooses not to deliver a traditional Classical performance but rather a "re-examination" of the works, writing that they "splash around wideband dynamics and proto-expressionistic timbres with ... obvious abandon".