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“Flinders Quartet…whose players give such care and unanimity of musical thought to Australian Chamber Music” Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning Herald The Flinders Quartet has been the vanguard of an extraordinary creative awakening amongst a new generation of string quartets in Melbourne, excelling in their dynamic and stirring performances of a full spectrum of repertoire. Audiences and critics alike were quick to articulate their esteem as the quartet developed into a highly respected force in Australian chamber music. The quartet’s musical maturity evidences intense honing of skills in the tough competitive environment of international chamber events such as Banff, Prussia Cove, The London String Quartet Competition and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. Building on this strong base the quartet has worked with other highly respected chamber musicians including William Hennesy, Menahem Pressler, Gábor Takács-Nagy and David Takeno. “…you can always rely on the Flinders players to give you a considered, informed interpretation.” Clive O’Connell The Age The quartet’s debut for Musica Viva, at the Yarra Valley Festival, included a memorable collaboration with the Goldner String Quartet. Since that time Flinders have toured regularly for Musica Viva, appearing regionally and in capital cities. The quartet is in demand at festivals throughout Australia, where it often appears in association with some of Australia’s finest talents, including Slava Grigoryan, David Thomas, Kristian Chong, Ian Munro, Karin Schaupp and Genevieve Lacey. The quartet was Radio 3MBS FM’s inaugural selection as Artists in Residence, a position they held until 2006. ABC Radio’s Classic FM has also broadcast many of their performances. Strong supporters of further developing the repertoire for string quartet, Flinders Quartet has commissioned and premiered quartets by Richard Mills, Calvin Bowman, Peter Sculthorpe, Ian Munro and Ross Edwards. Building on their 2006 Limelight Award and identification amongst Australia’s most influential artists, Flinders, in collaboration with new music ensemble Halcyon, were nominated for a 2007 ARIA award for their performance of Gillian Whitehead’s “Bright Forms Return” for string quartet and mezzo-soprano. A European tour in the 2007 northern spring took Flinders to Switzerland, Sweden (including participation at Australia Week events in Stockholm), England and Scotland. Audience and promoter response to the quartet’s performances of a mix of traditional repertoire, contemporary and Australian composers was such that a return tour is in planning. 2008 saw the quartet tour Singapore with extremely successful performances and masterclasses with local students. The release of their first commercial CD ‘reinventions’ with Genevieve Lacey was received with great critical acclaim and plans are underway for a further recording with Karin Schaupp on the ABC Classics Label. “playing as much from the heart as from the mind” Neville Cohn The West Australian A growing reputation as teachers and mentors has drawn the quartet to the attention of groups such as The Australian Youth Orchestra with whom the players continue to collaborate in developmental programs for young chamber groups and the Mt Buller Chamber Music Summer school as well as the Victorian Amateur Chamber Music Society. Most recently their collaboration with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra has seen the development of two secondary school string quartets honing their skills at an early age. The members of the Flinders Quartet are committed to the development of Australian chamber music and musicians. They will perform more widely throughout Australia during 2010 including return performances at the Four Winds and Port Fairy festivals, Noosa, Government House in Sydney, Springwood, Macedon, Brisbane, Hobart and other performances throughout Australia. Their commitment to both the performance and commissioning of Australian works will continue, as will their love of collaborating with other fine musicians. Individual Biographies
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