‘Serenade’ with the Aroha String Trio

Two wonderful Serenades for String Trio by Beethoven and Dohnányi give the concert its name. A gorgeous short work from 2021 by Aotearoa composer Salina Fisher and the sparkling String Trio (1933) by Jean Françaix complete the programme.

Programme:
Beethoven - Serenade for String Trio in D Op 8
Françaix - String Trio (1933)
Fisher - Mata-Au for String Trio
Dohnányi - Serenade for String Trio in C Op 10

The Aroha String Trio is made up of three members of the Aroha String Quartet.

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 2018.

The Aroha Quartet is committed to presenting string quartet works from western classical and avant-garde repertoire to traditional Chinese folk music, as well as works for larger forces through collaborations with numerous high-profile musicians.

The Aroha Quartet performs regularly around NZ in centres from the Deep South to the Far North. In 2014 they performed five concerts as part of Chamber Music New Zealand's Kaleidoscope series. Overseas trips have seen them participate in the prestigious International Summer Academy in Austria in 2010, give concerts and masterclasses in China in 2010 and 2013, and perform at the Huntington Music Festival in Australia in 2011.

The Aroha Quartet runs the annual ASQ International Music Academy, a week-long chamber music course. The ninth ASQ Academy will place in Wellington in July 2023. The Quartet's third ASQ International Academy in Asia took place in Zhongshan, China, in late January 2020.