The Rasumovsky String Quartet, founded in 1984, derives its name from the Russian Ambassador in Vienna in the early 19th Century. As an amateur violinist Count Andrey Kyrillovich Rasumovsky was sufficiently skilled to persuade Haydn to coach his house quartet. He commissioned Beethoven to write a set of three quartets, which appeared as op.59 in 1806. These masterly works, so much in advance of their time both in concept and technical difficulty, may well have proved too hard for the dedicatee to play, but their reputation has kept Rasumovsky's name before music lovers ever since.

It follows that establishing all Beethoven's 17 Quartets in performance was an early priority for this ensemble, but the large repertoire of the last twenty years covers a wide range – from contemporary British quartets to early classics sometimes played with transitional bows and gut strings.

The roots of the Rusumovsky Quartet reach back beyond their formation in 1984 through friendships and shared musical experiences. The style of the quartet is traditional by choice, seeking to find the varied tone colours and generally more moderate pace of previous generations of chamber music players.