Metamorphoses with the Aroha Quartet

Our 'Metamorphoses' programme starts with Mozart's String Quartet No 17 in B-flat K458.

Nicknamed 'The Hunt, this is a high-spirited, joyful work, both rustic and sophisticated. It continues with String Quartet No 1 'Métamorphoses nocturnes' by Hungarian composer György Ligeti.

Described by one writer as “Bartok's seventh string quartet”, this colourful work is written in seventeen wonderfully contrasting sections played as one continuous movement. The concert finishes with Beethoven's profound String Quartet No 13 in B-flat major Op 130, a piece that explores the limits of what can be expressed in music.

Acclaimed as demonstrating "accomplished brilliance, soulfulness and sublime intensity in perfect balance and tonal unity" (The Dominion Post), the Aroha String Quartet is firmly established as one of New Zealand's finest chamber music ensembles.

Founded in 2004, this versatile Wellington-based quartet is known for its passionate musicality, impressive technique, and multicultural innovation. Haihong Liu and Zhongxian Jin are original members of the Aroha Quartet. Robert Ibell joined the group in 2009 and Konstanze Artmann in late 2018.