Australian String Quartet
For over 30 years, the Australian String Quartet (ASQ) has created unforgettable string quartet performances for national and international audiences. Dedicated to musical excellence with a distinctly Australian flavour, the ASQ’s purpose is to create chemistry and amplify intimacy through experiences that connect people with string quartet music. From its home base at the University of Adelaide, Elder Conservatorium of Music, the ASQ reaches out across Australia and the world to engage people with an outstanding program of performances, workshops, commissions and education projects. The Quartet’s distinct sound is enhanced by a matched set of 18th century Guadagnini instruments, handcrafted by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini between c.1743 and 1784 in Turin and Piacenza, Italy. These precious instruments are on loan to the ASQ for their exclusive use through the generosity of UKARIA.
Australian String Quartet performed for the first time with Sydney Dance Company in October 2018 in Forever & Ever, playing Bryce Dessner’s score for Rafael Bonachela’s multi-award winning Frame of Mind live.
Dale Barltrop plays a 1784 Guadagnini Violin, Turin
Francesca Hiew Plays a 1748-49 Guadagnini Violin, Piacenza
Christopher Cartlidge plays a 1783 Guadagnini Viola, Turin
Michael Dahlenburg plays a c.1743 Guadagnini Violincello, Piacenza ‘Ngeringa’