The Callia Quartet, (formerly the Chamber Players Ensemble) was formed in 2017 bringing together chamber musicians each with a strong connection to the Chamber Players chamber music courses.  

Hartmut Ometzberger and Lucy Melvin have known eachother since they were students and each studied with Emmanuel Hurwitz, who was leader of the Aeolian Quartet which was the 1st string quartet to record all of the Haydn Quartets. They formed this ensemble with this shared joy of performing Haydn’s quartets, but with this, they are pleased to incorporate little known works, or new compositions.

Recent collaborations with composer Thomas Hewitt Jones has led to 3 commissions of his work. Premieres of which took place in 2020 and 2021. 

In 2022 the quartet performed what they think was the UK premiere of Florence Price’ String quartet no. 1, and later in the year they will be giving the World Premiere of Wendy Hiscock’s Summer Air.

Recent venues include the Thames Tunnel in Rotherhithe, The October Gallery in Bloomsbury; Conway Hall (as part of the Conway Hall Sunday Concert Series); Famington Barns (Warwickshire); All Saints, West Dulwich where their annual concert takes place, and in Nov 2022 The Music Room, Great Ormond Street.

Brexit (Hartmut lives in Vienna) and Covid restrictions have been two hurdles to overcome recently, but we have managed to work our way through the red tape of Brexit, and the technology enabling Live Stream performances meant that our 3 commissioned pieces were able to be heard.