The Balanescu Quartet is an avant-garde string quartet founded in 1987 by Alexander Bălănescu that achieved fame through the release of several complex cover versions of songs by German experimental electronic music band Kraftwerk on their album "Possessed".
The driving force behind the quartet has always been main composer and founder Alexander Bălănescu. Clare Connors, violin, has also played a great part.
The quartet are mainly notable for their very distinctive style of music, which encompasses odd time rhythms, sound dissonances and complex arrangements. They have performed multiple works with a variety of other artists, including David Byrne, Gavin Bryars, Michael Nyman, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Kevin Volans, Hector Zazou, Spiritualized, and Yellow Magic Orchestra.
They are the performers of the current arrangement of University Challenge's title music on BBC2 in the UK.
They are currently signed to Music & Words. Their early albums were on Mute Records and Argo Records (UK).