New Zealand String Quartet 2025

Across four night-time gatherings, take a front row seat to the raw, emotional power of one of the 20th century’s most troubled, yet defiant, musical voices.

The New Zealand String Quartet invites you to join us on the journey of “Shostakovich: UNPACKED”, a four-part concert series celebrating the works of the great composer, and the spirit of collaboration, in partnership with four beloved associate artists.

Together with Orchestra Wellington, Antipodes Quartet, Ghost Trio, and pianist Jian Liu, the NZSQ delves into the celebrated chamber music of Dimitri Shostakovich, in one of Wellington’s most exciting venues. Over four gatherings, we collectively grapple with the startling relevance of Shostakovich’s artistic voice in our world today, in this 50th anniversary year of the legendary composer’s death.

Each evening features a specially curated selection of Shostakovich's chamber music, ranging from piano trios to quartets, duos to octets, and even a full chamber orchestra. Alongside, we'll spotlight the unique voices of Aotearoa composers, making their own artistic comment on the legacy of Shostakovich, and on the world we inhabit today.

The series comes to a poignant close with an evening that will undoubtedly be one of the most special events of the 2025 arts calendar; a performance of the haunting Sonata for Viola and Piano, the very last work of Shostakovich, completed just weeks before his death. 

Together, we explore and question what this powerful music meant in the time Shostakovich wrote it, and how his artistic voice resonates to this day.