MUSICAL PORTRAITS

PROGRAM • 60 mins no interval

MARIA GRENFELL “Silhouettes”*
BEDŘICH SMETANA String Quartet No. 1 in E minor, “From My Life”
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110

* Commissioned by Flinders Quartet with support from FQ Syndicate #5

ST JOHN’S CHURCH • SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER, 2.30PM

MURRAY RIVER FINE MUSIC • SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER, 3PM

MONTSALVAT BARN GALLERY • SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER, 2.30PM SOLD OUT

PRIMROSE POTTER SALON • MONDAY 30 OCTOBER, 1PM & 6PM

FQ DIGITAL • PREMIERING WEDNESDAY 15 NOVEMBER, 7.30PM and then available for on-demand viewing
12-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION to view all of FQ’s 2023 digital concerts

“I can still remember hearing Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 for the first time and being riveted from beginning to end. This incredibly powerful work was officially dedicated ‘to the memory of the victims of fascism and war’ but there is much to suggest that Shostakovich meant it as a musical self portrait.

Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 “From My Life” is a different type of musical portrait, taking us on a vivid, programmatic journey through young love, and the devastation of tinnitus. I still get goosebumps in the opening viola theme every time I hear it or better still, play it. In discussing these works, we began to be curious about how a composer would capture the essence of Flinders Quartet and have commissioned Tasmanian composer Maria Grenfell to paint us in sound. It will be fascinating to create our very own musical portrait.”

HELEN IRELAND, VIOLA

CAMERON HILL • Guest Violinist

Cameron Hill is an Australian violinist who appears as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. He studied in Melbourne with Cathryn Bills, William Hennessy and Alice Waten, and in Vienna with Dora Schwarzberg and Boris Kuschnir. He has performed as a concerto soloist with many Australian orchestras, including the MSO, ASO, QSO, TSO, CSO and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. Cameron has also had success in major competitions, winning both the 2006 ABC Young Performer of the Year, and the 2005 Dorcas McClean National Violin Competition.

His love of chamber music has seen him perform various works with Pinchas Zukerman and Emmanuel Pahud. He was the founding leader of the Hamer Quartet, appeared as leader of the Flinders Quartet, and has toured Europe with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. During 2014, Cameron appeared as guest Concertmaster of the MSO for several months, and in 2015, toured and performed as guest leader of the Australian String Quartet. He is currently the Associate Concertmaster of the ASO.