ABOUT

Helene Pohl – Violin I

Peter Clark – Violin II

Gillian Ansell – Viola

Rolf Gjelsten – Cello

The New Zealand String Quartet – Te Rōpū Tūrū O Aotearoa (NZSQ) has distinguished itself on the world stage with its insightful interpretations, compelling communication, and dynamic performing style. The group’s imaginative programming and creative collaborations have been hallmarks of its 37-year history, as well as making an indelible impact on the cultural life of New Zealand as performers, innovators, and teachers. In addition to regular nationwide touring in Aotearoa New Zealand, the Quartet has debuted at Wigmore Hall in London, the Frick in New York, and the Library of Congress in Washington, and has toured internationally in Australia, North America, Europe, and Asia. Celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday, the NZSQ presented Beethoven cycles in Germany and the Netherlands in 2022. This November will mark their Hungarian debut at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. As cultural ambassadors for Aotearoa New Zealand, the NZSQ proudly champions the astonishingly creative and diverse composers of their home country. They have premiered over 150 New Zealand works, including collaborations with taonga pūoro (Māori traditional instruments).

The group’s passion to communicate the greatness of the string quartet repertoire with all New Zealanders has led to them performing Beethoven and Bartok cycles all over the country, as well as a wide range of repertoire in centres large and small, in venues from venerable Town Halls to art galleries and community centres. Recent innovations have included “Sounds of the Sanctuary,” a birdsong-inspired programme performed to sold out crowds at bird sanctuaries nationwide. Plans for 2025 include blanketing the country with the complete cycle of Shostakovich quartets.

The NZSQ has enjoyed collaborating with many eminent artists including all the notable pianists of New Zealand, as well as Anton Kuerti, Denes Varjon, Piers Lane, Andre LaPlante, Alexander Lonquich, Peter Nagy, Kathryn Stott, Martin Roscoe; the Jerusalem, Prazak, Ying, Goldner, Takacs, Lindsay, and St. Lawrence quartets; Julian Bliss, Nobuko Imai, Hariolf Schlichtig, James Crabb and Colin Carr. A particularly close relationship with Canadian clarinettist James Campbell has led to frequent collaborations in Canada as well as New Zealand, a landmark recording of the Brahms quintet, and premieres of quintets from both countries. Wider-ranging collaborations have included performances with Omar Farouk Tekbilek, Rahim Alhaj, Uri Caine, Dick Oatts, Jim Hall, Wayne Marshall, and many Māori traditional musicians, such as Horomona Horo and Ariana Tikao.

Creative collaborations have included theatrical presentations encompassing spoken word and dance, from Haydn’s Seven Last Words and Beethoven’s Quartets to Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night and touring on stage with the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

In addition to many CDs devoted to New Zealand music, the NZSQ discography includes the complete quartets of Mendelssohn, Berg, and Brahms and a collection of Asian music for Naxos, as well as Schubert, Beethoven, Debussy and Ravel and the complete Bartok

Quartets on the Atoll label. Their CD “Notes from a Journey” won the Best Classical Album award at the 2011 Vodafone NZ Music Awards.

Devoted teachers and mentors, members of the NZSQ teach at the New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī where they have been Quartet-in-Residence since 1991. They regularly mentor young students from Sistema programmes around the country and, since 1995, they have been running the annual Adam Summer School for Chamber Music. The NZSQ has given masterclasses internationally at institutions such as the Banff Centre, Brisbane’s Griffith Conservatory, the Peabody Conservatory, the Yon Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore, and the Stuttgart Hochschule.

Quartet members Helene Pohl and Gillian Ansell are the artistic directors of the biennial Adam Chamber Music Festival, hailed as the “Salzburg of the South,” which attracts star performers as well as audiences from around the world.

The three longest serving members of the Quartet have each been awarded the MNZM (Member of the NZ Order of Merit) honour for services to music in New Zealand.

HELENE POHL, First Violin

Born in Ithaca, New York to German parents, Helene Pohl spent her childhood on both sides of the Atlantic. At 17 she began tertiary study at the Musikhochschule Cologne. She continued her studies with members of the Cleveland Quartet at the Eastman School of Music and at Indiana University with Josef Gingold. As first violinist of the San Francisco based Fidelio String Quartet (1988-1993), Helene performed extensively in the USA, Germany, England, Italy and South America. The Fidelio Quartet was prize-winner in the 1991 London International String Quartet Competition and Quartet-in-Residence at both the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals. Helene joined the New Zealand String Quartet as first violinist in February 1994. In 2001 she became Artistic Director, with fellow quartet member Gillian Ansell, of the Adam Chamber Music Festival. In 2014 she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her outstanding services to music in New Zealand. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and baking, getting out into nature and playing concertos with orchestras around New Zealand, including the Nelson Symphony Orchestra. Helene plays a Pietro Guarnerius violin made in Venice in 1730.

PETER CLARK, Second Violin

Violinist Peter Clark was honoured to join the NZSQ in 2024. Prior to his appointment, Peter divided his time between New York City and Australasia, combining his passions for chamber music, directing orchestras, and advocating for the central role of music in society.

Peter came to the NZSQ from his tenure as Principal Violin of Omega Ensemble, widely regarded as “Australia’s most exciting and forward-thinking chamber music ensemble” (Limelight Magazine). He was previously first violinist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Inspire Quartet, and a core member of Melbourne’s Inventi Ensemble.

Peter is regularly featured at festivals such as the Warren Chamber Music Festival, Music by the Springs, Albury Chamber Music Festival, Orange Chamber Music Festival, Peninsula Summer Music Festival, and the Canberra International Music Festival. Internationally, Peter has appeared at the Thy Chamber Music Festival in Denmark; at Aldeburgh Music in the UK; and at the Festival International de Musique Universitaire in France, where he premiered numerous new Australian works for string quartet.

As concertmaster, Peter has appeared with New Zealand Opera, Sydney Chamber Opera, Victoria Opera, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Darwin Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Wellington. He has also appeared as Guest Principal Second of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Dublin, and has toured with the Australian World Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Peter is passionate about the intersection of the highest artistry and music’s potential to be a force for good. His commitment to arts access has led him to perform in more than 130 regional towns and cities across Australia. Through his extensive work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Inspire Quartet, he developed a beloved music program at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, which ran for six years. His research on social innovation and cohesion through music has been generously supported by Judith Neilson AM, the General Sir John Monash Foundation, and the American Australian Association. Peter plays violins by A. E. Smith, and renowned contemporary maker Joseph Curtin.

GILLIAN ANSELL, Viola

Born in Auckland, Gillian Ansell made her concerto debut as a violinist with the Auckland Philharmonia at the age of 16. At 19, an Associated Board Scholarship took her to the Royal College of Music in London for three years to study violin, viola and piano. She then won a German Academic Exchange (DAAD) scholarship for further study in Germany at the Musikhochschule Cologne with Igor Ozim and the Amadeus Quartet. After working professionally in London she returned to New Zealand to become a founding member of the New Zealand String Quartet in 1987. She was second violinist for two years before taking up the position of violist of the group. In 1992, Gillian founded the Adam Chamber Music Festival with a group of friends, performing five concerts in five days. In 2001 she became Artistic Director, with fellow quartet member Helene Pohl. In 2008 she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her outstanding services to music in New Zealand. She served on the jury of the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2019. Gillian plays on a 1619 Nicolò Amati viola, generously loaned by the Adam Foundation.

ROLF GJELSTEN, Cello

Rolf Gjelsten began cello studies in his native city Victoria, Canada, with James Hunter and Janos Starker at the age of 15. At 22 he became the youngest member of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. Rolf returned to North America to study with Zara Nelsova which led to further study with the members of the La Salle, Hungarian, Vermeer, Cleveland and Emerson string quartets. As a member of the Laurentian Quartet for almost a decade he toured internationally, made five CDs and taught cello at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. During this time he was also a member of the New York Piano Trio. Rolf furthered his studies from 1990 with the great Pablo Casals protégé and Beaux Arts Trio cellist Bernhard Greenhouse at Rutgers University, where he received his doctoral degree in cello. He has performed with such eminent artists as Menahem Pressler, Anton Kuerti, Piers Lane, Tasmin Little, Nobuko Imai and Gervaise de Peyer. Rolf joined the New Zealand String Quartet in May 1994 and in 2014 he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for his outstanding services to music in New Zealand. Rolf plays a Francesco Gofriller cello made in Venice in 1705.

CONCERT PROGRAM

I Danced, Unseen – Tabea Squire

String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 68 – Dimitri Shostakovich

Overture: Moderato con moto; Recitative and Romance: Adagio; Valse: Allegro; Theme with Variations: Adagio

INTERMISSION

String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (L.91) – Claude Debussy

Animé et très décidé; Assez vif et bien rythmé; Andantino, doucement expressif; Très modéré – En animant peu à peu – Très mouvementé et avec passion

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