Breaking down the barriers of the concert hall and bringing communities into intimate contact with great music is the mission behind the Australian String Quartet, which is exactly what occurred in Balingup last Saturday.
Balingup locals Gary and Louise Hodge hosted two concerts on Saturday at their Brookvale House property, with the ASQ members performing on a matched set of Guadagnini instruments, handcrafted in Turin and Piacenza, Italy in the 1700’s, to the captive audiences.
“It is an absolute pleasure to have the Australian String Quartet perform for us in Balingup,” Louise said.
“The world’s beautiful chamber music repertoire was written for intimate spaces in salons and private homes across Europe, so it is a joy to be able to create musical experiences similar to the times in which the music was first written.”
The Australian String Quartet, featuring violinists Dale Barltrop and Francesca Hiew, violist Stephen King and cellist Sharon Draper, enjoyed the opportunity to perform to a small audience, with Sharon saying it was great to be able to create beautiful music while getting to know on a personal level all the communities that they visit.
“In getting to know our audience, we hope they get to know us too – not only as four performers, but four people with a shared passion for music, friendship, and life,” she said.
The Australian String Quartet chamber music group is based at the University of Adelaide and delivers an artistic program of performances, workshops, commissions and education projects across Australia and abroad. For more information about the ASQ check online at asq.com.au.
