Borealis String Quartet

Borealis String Quartet performing Paul Alexander's "Galatea" at the JRSP July 2025

The Borealis String Quartet is an internationally-acclaimed ensemble, re-interpreting classical masterpieces with unparalleled voracity. Founded in Vancouver in 2000, the Borealis has since toured extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.

The Borealis was the sole classical group to be selected for the Great Canadian Dream Competition, and consequently performed for the Prime Minister at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. In addition to the group’s unwavering commitment to classical quartet literature, the Borealis is an avid proponent of Canadian composition. They have worked closely with many contemporary composers, including Paul Alexander.

The Borealis was the String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of British Columbia for over 10 years. Now, they act as faculty and Quartet-in-Residence at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Langley Community Music School.

The Borealis String Quartet’s Performance Residency was initiated in 2009, through the creation of their annual Masters of Counterpoint performance series. This series aims to elucidate the parallel approaches to abstraction through the use of counterpoint in both music and the sculptures of Jeffrey Rubinoff. During his lifetime, Rubinoff would personally select the series repertoire — Bach, Beethoven, and Shostakovich — to specifically illustrate his assertion that:

“Music is sculpture in elastic space, sculpture is music in plastic space”

In recent years, the series has expanded to include additional composers, including contemporary collaborators of the Borealis String Quartet. In July 2025, The Borealis String Quartet premiered the Vancouver-based composer Paul Alexander's piece "Galatea" -- written for the ensemble's performance at the JRSP.