NZ String Quartet presents: Anthology

The New Zealand String Quartet presents their 2026 Season: Storytellers. For our Anthology concerts we’re bringing together the best pieces of music from the year into one programme.

Friday 8 May 2026 7:30pm – 9:00pm, at the Lodge Theatre, Cnr Talbot & Hislop Sts, Geraldine. Tickets $34.50 each, available from EventFinda.

Mika Cornelius – Universal Veil
Franz Schubert – Movements from String Quartet No. 10, in E flat major (D. 87)
Gareth Farr – Movements from Mondo Rondo
Interval
Antonín Dvořák – Movements from String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96 (The American Quartet)
Excerpts from the Danish String Quartet’s album, Last Leaf

‘Anthology’ opens with a piece composed especially for the NZSQ: Mika Cornelius’s Universal Veil, an ethereal and atmospheric trip through the lifecycle of fungi.
Schubert’s vibrant E flat major quartet shows the teenage composer finding his voice before Gareth Farr brings us home with the infectious personality of Mondo Rondo.
Dvořák‘s String Quartet no. 12, opus 96, the beloved “American Quartet“, features sweeping melodies that evoke the spirit of exploration and adventure.
Last Leaf, the acclaimed album by the Danish String Quartet reimagines early Scandinavian folk melodies, wandering through joy, sorrow and nostalgia.

Behind every piece of music is a story and throughout our 2026 Season, we’re diving into them. Across concerts, collaborations, workshops and communities we’ll explore how composers transform stories and experiences into sound. We’ll boldly explore more compositional voices than ever before, beginning with early folk melodies, and classical masterworks that resonate through the centuries, through to modern-day Grammy winners and the distinctive voices of Aotearoa. The three string quartets of Benjamin Britten form the heart of our 2026 Season, to mark the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death.

Storytellers showcases a rich cross-section of our society and celebrates the art of storytelling through music. Join us in 2026 as together we explore these musical stories.