The London-based 12 Ensemble has established an influential artistic identity as one of Europe’s leading string ensembles. Built around a core of twelve exceptional chamber musicians, the conductor-less collective has become synonymous with innovative programming and artistic curiosity, combining a commitment to classical repertoire with ambitious new commissions and collaborations across a broad spectrum of artistic practice.
Formed in 2012 by Artistic Directors Eloisa-Fleur Thom and Max Ruisi, the ensemble is flexible in size, ranging from string quartets to large-scale symphonic projects. A recent Artist-in-Residence at Wigmore Hall, 12 Ensemble performs regularly at venues including the Barbican, Royal Albert Hall and Southbank Centre, alongside an international touring programme that saw the group make its Los Angeles debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall earlier this year. Its performances bring together a range of artistic voices, with recent on-stage collaborators including Sean Shibe, Iestyn Davies, Jonny Greenwood, Timothy Ridout and Fleur Barron. The ensemble has given multiple performances at the BBC Proms over the last decade, and has toured throughout Europe, The US and Asia.
New music is central to the ensemble’s work, as is the development of close, long-standing relationships with key composers and collaborators. Multiple commissions span emerging and established composers, with Oliver Leith’s Honey Siren (12 Ensemble commission) winning the 2020 Ivor Novello Award for Best Chamber Composition. The Ensemble has gone on to collaborate with Leith on a number of high-profile projects, including Last Days at the Royal Opera House, Garland at Bold Tendencies and Doom & The Dooms, a conceptual album with guitarist Sean Shibe and PJ Harvey. Further award-winning commissions include Laurence Osborn’s TOMB! (Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Chamber Composition 2023). Recent premieres include works by Oliver Coates, Edmund Finnis, Tom Coult, Isabella Gellis and Sasha Scott.
Beyond the concert hall, 12 Ensemble has developed close creative relationships across contemporary music and film. It has worked extensively with Radiohead guitarist and composer Jonny Greenwood, recording his soundtracks for the Oscar-nominated films Spencer and The Power of the Dog. Other collaborators include Danny Harle, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Matthew Herbert, Bryce Dessner, The National, Josephine Stephenson, Daughter, Laura Marling, Ichiko Aoba, Elena Tonra and Chrissie Hynde.
12 Ensemble released its third album, Metamorphosis, in 2024, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard chart. Its 2026 release, Doom and the Dooms, created with Oliver Leith, features Sean Shibe, GBSR Duo and PJ Harvey.