Welcome to the official website of the West Ocean String Quartet


"I am spellbound, magiced to an other place" – Philip King

"This quartet washes over me like the West Ocean itself, gathering me up and bearing me off with it, dancing through the light of other days.." – Philip King

"The West Ocean String Quartet positively dazzles in its renaissance-like ability to inhabit multiple worlds simultaneously" Siobhan Long - The Irish Times

"Finely honed music cosseted by superbly talented musicians." Siobhan Long - Irish Times

A new album in the offing….

The quartet have recently been rehearsing in the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, Co. Monaghan, selecting material for their new cd. The plan is to record later this year and release in the spring of 2012. The centrepiece of the cd will be Neil Martin’s suite An Indigo Sky, a commission in memory of Joseph Browne.

More news……

A trip to USA in October is being finalized, with a performance at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The quartet will perform Oileán na Marbh with special guest Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill. Venue is the Decio Hall (Mainstage) of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, at 8pm on Thur October 20th, 2011.

In June the quartet guested with Christy Moore on his new album – and you just never know, there could be a few gigs together at some point round the corner……watch this space.

And finally, the US astronaut Cady Coleman became a fan of the quartet this year – all 3 albums were emailed to her in the International Space Station. It’s now official – the quartet’s music is truly out of this world.