The quartet was formed for a London String Quartet Foundation symposium, although Redington, Brown and Myerscough already knew each other having attended Pro Corda in Suffolk together as children. They gained early exposure after winning the Bristol Millennium Chamber Music Competition at the age of eighteen, which led to a residency at the Wiltshire Music Centre. From 2002, the Doric studied with ProQuartet in Paris with the Alban Berg, Artemis and LaSalle quartets, and, after separately attending music colleges, they came to the attention of the Young Concert Artists Trust in 2006, where they were advised by Alasdair Tait. Early concerts in the UK include at the Wigmore Hall in London in 2004. The quartet won first prize at the 2008 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition and second prize at the "Premio Paolo Borciani" International String Quartet Competition.
