Arco String Quartet brings together many years’ combined experience, a wide repertoire and high musical standards.
We are flexible and adaptable; whether you want beautiful music for your wedding ceremony, an elegant atmosphere for a special occasion or a touch of class for your corporate guests.
All the players in Arco also play in our sister quartet, Andrelli.
Dawn Allen, violin
With a wide range of musical tastes, Dawn enjoys playing all types of music, from quartets to folk and jazz. Trained in violin and percussion, she has performed with many orchestras and smaller ensembles for concerts and functions.
Dawn has played violin for musicals and shows alongside her teaching commitments tutoring violin privately and in several local schools. As well as performing with Arco she is a member of a ceilidh band, covers band and jazz ensemble.
Jenny Williams, violin
Jenny studied performance on violin and piano as part of her music degree at Leeds University. After working in marketing for a couple of years she returned to university to study music education at Durham.
Jenny now works part time as a classroom teacher at a secondary school in Newcastle. She balances this with her work as a musician, both as a member of Arco String Quartet, and with various ensembles in the North East.
Jill Blakey, viola
Jill studied music at London College of Music where she gained her degree, performance and teaching diplomas. After graduating she completed a PGCE course at Middlesex University. During this time she played with a wide variety of orchestras including Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, British Youth Opera and the Britten Pears Orchestra.
Jill now lives back in the North East where she plays with the Arco String Quartet, various other ensembles and works part-time as a peripatetic violin/viola teacher in schools within North Tyneside and Newcastle.
Kirsty McDowell, cello
Kirsty took up the cello at the age of 7, and has been an active musician ever since. Her determination to get a 'proper' job, however, led her to spend four years balancing academic studies with musical commitments in Exeter and Germany.
Following a brief stint as a translator, Kirsty finally embraced the inevitable and turned to music professionally in 2005. As well as playing with Arco String Quartet she now performs with various orchestras and ensembles across the North East of England including Orchestra North East and the Hadrian Quartet.
