The 12 ensemble
has rapidly developed a reputation as one of the UK's leading string orchestras. A bold, versatile and virtuosic ensemble, the group’s youthful energy and passion for chamber music is at the heart of their music-making. Built around a core of twelve of London’s finest chamber musicians and always playing without a conductor, the ensemble’s performances combine the excitement and creativity of a string quartet with the breathtaking sound afforded by twelve brilliant string players.

The 12 ensemble perform at leading venues throughout the UK, Europe and Asia, with recent headline performances at the Barbican, King’s Place and the Paris Philharmonie plus tours to South Korea, Iceland, Bulgaria and Italy. 2018 will see the ensemble perform at the new Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and the Berlin Philharmonie alongside composer Max Richter, as well as holding a 3-day residency at the Barbican for the Sounds & Visions festival.

Passionate about engaging both new and existing audiences of classical music, the ensemble regularly work with composers and artists on contemporary collaborations and commissions. Most recently, the group commissioned a new piece for solo dancer from award-winning Royal Ballet and Rambert choreographer Alexander Whitley, set to their recording of Woolrich’s ‘Ulysses Awakes’. A ground-breaking new short film of the dance, created during an Aldeburgh Residency, will be released in 2018 alongside their debut album, ‘Resurrection’.

We are thrilled to welcome the 12 ensemble back to The Good Life Experience in 2018 where they will play SchubertDeath and the Maiden (arr. Mahler) and Sigur Rós' Fljótavík (arr. Button). They release their debut CD on Sancho Panza Records the day before their TGLE performance.