Evolving from a close-knit group of like-minded musicians into one of Europe's leading string orchestras, the 12 Ensemble has developed an international reputation as an influential collective, reaching audiences worldwide with powerful musical experiences.
Flexible in size without ever sacrificing a deeply collaborative approach, the core formation brings together twelve of London’s leading string players. Formed in 2012 by Artistic Directors Eloisa-Fleur Thom & Max Ruisi, the 12 Ensemble is an orchestra led by its artists. Over the past decade, the group has become synonymous with extraordinary performances alongside fiercely unique and innovative programming, combining their dedication to core-classical repertoire with exceptional new commissions and collaborators from a broad range of artistic spheres.
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Artists-in-Residence at the Wigmore Hall for 2023-25, the 12 Ensemble are in-demand internationally. 2024/25 will see the group perform at leading venues including the Royal Opera House, Barbican, Royal Albert Hall and De Doelen (Rotterdam), as well as a fourth appearance at the BBC Proms. The group released their critically-acclaimed 3rd album Metamorphosis in March 2024, with the record reaching No.4 in the US Billboard chart. The album features Strauss' Metamorphosen for 23 Strings alongside works by Claude Vivier, Oliver Leith & Edmund Finnis. Their previous album Death & The Maiden (2021) enjoyed significant international success, and has been streamed over 20 million times to date.
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Alongside their commitment to world-class performances of established repertoire, the group are champions of new music and regularly commission and collaborate with leading composers. Their commission Honey Siren by composer Oliver Leith won the Ivor Novello award for Best Chamber Composition (2020), whilst Laurence Osborn’s TOMB! (2023) won the Royal Philharmonic Society award for Chamber Composition. The ensemble joined forces with Leith once again at the Royal Opera House for his acclaimed opera Last Days in 2022, and recently gave the premiere of his latest work Doom and the Dooms at Wigmore Hall with guitarist Sean Shibe. 2025 will see the group premiering new works by Oliver Coates, Tom Coult, Isabella Gellis and Sasha Scott.
The ensemble have a long-established relationship with composer Max Richter, including performances with him at the Paris Philharmonie and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt for Dior.​ In their largest formation to date, the group recently recorded the score to Max Richter’s new ballet MADDADDAM (collaboration with Wayne McGregor), to be released in late 2024.
The 12 Ensemble has also collaborated closely with Radiohead guitarist and composer Jonny Greenwood, recording his soundtracks to the Oscar-nominated films 'Spencer' and ‘The Power of the Dog’, plus sharing the stage with Greenwood at the Barbican and End of the Road Festival. The group has also worked with artists such as Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Laura Marling, Bryce Dessner, The National, Ichiko Aoba, Elena Tonra and Chrissie Hynde. 12 Ensemble feature onscreen in Andrew Dominik’s 2021 film ‘This Much I know To Be True’, exploring the collaborations of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
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The 12 Ensemble have released three critically-acclaimed albums; Resurrection (2018), Death and the Maiden (2021) and most recently Metamorphosis (2024), available digitally and on both CD & vinyl.