The Barbirolli Quartet, 2008 winner of the Royal Over-Seas League annual music competition now in its 57th year in Britain, is touring New Zealand as part of its prize in this comprehensive and highly regarded major UK competition.
League director of arts (London) Roderick Lakin MBE is accompanying the quartet for the eight-recital tour of this country before the musicians attend and assist in adjudicating the New Zealand contest, which is to be held in Hamilton this weekend.
Last year's New Zealand winners were Duo Giocoso (includes local viola player Helen Bevin), who performed in Dunedin recently.
The University of Otago will be represented this year in Hamilton by bassoonist Joe Donnelly and pianist Jaroslav Novak.
The Barbirolli Quartet is quartet in residence at Salford University (UK) and is made up of Rakhi Singh (violin), Katie Stillman (violin), Ella Brinch (viola) and Ashok Klouda (cello).
Their performance at Marama Hall on Wednesday evening was inspiring.
Youthful exuberance and enthusiasm for innovative interpretation highlighted their musicianship in a truly professional exhibition of chamber repertoire.
Much prominence was given to the lyrical aspects of Mozart's Quartet No 22 in Bb K589 "Prussian" with the performance verging on romantic style delivery.
Quartet in C Minor Op 51 No 1 by Johannes Brahms embraced the darker timbres, emulating an air of anxiety at times, with strong determined bowing in the allegro.
In contrast, the opening passages of the romanze second movement were treated with great tenderness and beauty in articulation.
The work ended with another allegro which became con fuoco and quite rebellious at times as the motifs flew between the players in an exhibition of tight chamber performing.
