FQ PATHWAYS

“ FQ Pathways has grown organically over 25 years from our deep love of string quartets. I was hooked at 16, when Marco Van Pagee (founder of the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition) gave me my first coaching session, and though we barely made it through a line of Haydn, I was riveted. Later, Bill Hennessy (founder of the Australian String Quartet) taught me to hear sound as a living, blended whole, and Gábor Takács-Nagy (founder of the Takács Quartet) revealed how to find a shared understanding of a composer’s intent. Each member of Flinders Quartet carries a rich musical lineage, and we feel a profound responsibility to nurture the next generation of chamber musicians, composers, and arts workers.

FQ Pathways forms our artist and sector development initiative, uniting all our education and mentorship work under one banner. From composer programs like Ascend and Emerge to pre-professional ensemble mentoring through Strike a Chord and a new partnership with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra plus regional residencies with partners such as Resonance String Orchestra, FQ Pathways offers clear, progressive opportunities to engage with the string quartet artform. It connects emerging and established artists, honours tradition while championing new voices, and strengthens the ecosystem that allows string quartets to flourish across Australia, laying the groundwork for exciting future initiatives.”