The Chiaroscuro Quartet has gained a reputation as the top string quartet offering historical performances of Classical-period and early Romantic string quartet repertory. It uses gut strings and historically accurate bows and bowing techniques, producing a sound with sharp, dramatic attacks and little vibrato. All four players have backgrounds in historical performance, but the leader, violinist Alina Ibragimova, has also played contemporary music, and her style does much to shape the sound. The other members are violinist Pablo Hernán Benedí, violist Emilie Hörnlund, and cellist Claire Thirion. In 2011, the group was signed to the Aparte label and released an album of quartets by Mozart and Schubert. The Chiaroscuro's concert career has featured collaborations with top names in the historical performance field. The quartet began a cycle of Haydn string quartets in 2016 on BIS.