THE NEXT GENERATION OF STRING QUARTETS

 

STRIKE A CHORD

The Flinders Quartet Mentorship Prize, presented as part of Musica Viva Australia’s annual Strike a Chord competition, offers Australia’s finest emerging quartets mentoring, performance opportunities, and career guidance. Each year, FQ selects a group whose artistry and potential will thrive through this opportunity.

For 2026, the outstanding Victorian ensemble Quatuor Fabriqués has been selected - stay tuned for their upcoming performances!

Past winners include:
• Eureka Quartet & Cousin Quartet (2020-2021)
• Pirulí Quartet (2021-2022)
• Piccolo Quartet (2022-2023)
• Lumina Quartet (2024-2025)
• Quatuor Fabriqués (2025-2026)

REGIONAL CONNECTIONS AND SIDE-BY-SIDE PERFORMANCES

FQ Pathways is committed to nurturing chamber music beyond metropolitan centres.

The highlight of 2026 will be the premiere of Robert McIntyre’s work Bushfire Skies, commissioned by FQ Syndicate #8. Flinders Quartet will work side by side with Resonance String Orchestra players and tutors, offering regional audiences a first-hand encounter with living Australian music.

Side-by-side performances in Horsham, Mildura, Shepparton, Traralgon, Bairnsdale, and Hume, all delivered in partnership with John Noble’s Itet program, will support young regional musicians, strengthen local creative ecosystems, and inspire the next generation of performers.

Having FQ involved in Resonance is an ‘icing on the cake’ experience for our members. Zoe’s effervescent enthusiasm and extraordinary capacity to impart musical understanding is a dynamic force within our organisation. Having access to Helen, Wilma and Liz’s nuanced and illuminating musical perspectives has been a real buzz for our musical community. The FQ chamber music stream has built capacity within Resonance, providing individuals with a high-growth string quartet learning environment. These members then feed their increased skill sets back into our orchestra.
— Heather Cummins, Artistic Director, Resonance String Orchestra

MELBOURNE YOUTH ORCHESTRAS PARTNERSHIP

As part of a new partnership, FQ is mentoring a newly formed string quartet made up of principal players from MYO’s flagship orchestra. Through intensive workshops and shared performances, these musicians gain vital ensemble, listening, and leadership skills.

As MYO CEO Dorian Jones observes:

“Playing in a string quartet is one of the most powerful training grounds for any string player, particularly enhancing the leadership skills essential for those in principal positions.”

SECONDARY SCHOOL ACTIVATION AND INTERACTION

To deepen engagement, Flinders Quartet works directly with secondary school students from Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School, Footscray High School, and University High School, offering in-school workshops ahead of their attendance at the St Johns Southgate concerts (with free tickets provided).

These experiences culminate in post-concert Q&A sessions with quartet members, demystifying chamber music and inviting meaningful dialogue between students and professional artists — often exploring the intersection of music with other art forms.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: FOOTSCRAY CITY COLLEGE RESIDENCY (2019)
FROM THE ARCHIVES: FOOTSCRAY HIGH SCHOOL RESIDENCY (2021)
This is my third year of being part of the Resonance Quartet under the inspired tutelage of Zoe Knighton. When I listen to the recordings and remember what we sounded like in the first year, the difference in individual and ensemble quality from then to now is amazing. The Quartet program has given us access not only to an extraordinary string quartet specialist but to a warm and generous musician who has helped us all to raise our musicianship through a more profound understanding of what is required to make music at the highest level.
— Henry Vynhal, Resonance String Orchestra and Quartet