The Affinity Quartet has captured the world’s attention with its exceptional music making.  Winners of the 2023 Melbourne International String Quartet Competition and Laureates of the Bad Tölz International String Quartet Competition (Germany), the Mozart International String Quartet Competition (Austria) and the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, the Affinity Quartet is making waves in Australia’s vibrant music culture.

Passionate about performing new works for the repertory, the program features ‘Incantation in Four Parts’ by the French composer Heloise Werner and the ‘Movement for String Quartet’ by Australian composer Justin Williams, one of Australia’s finest violists who is gaining momentum as a new voice in the Australian compositional landscape.  

Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor, a work that at the time of its premiere, was utterly modern in its conception and is imbued with dazzling textures, radical tonality and sensual beauty, closes the 2025 Season.  

Sunday, November 23rd, 2.30pm

HELOISE WERNER - Incantation in Four Parts
MOZART - Adagio and Fugue in C minor
JUSTIN WILLIAMS - Movement for String Quartet
DEBUSSY - String Quartet in G minor

Program

Venue

Hunters Hill Town Hall

Single Tickets: Adult $45 | Students $10 | Purchase as part of a 2025 Subscription Package

Following the performance, join fellow audience members and the artists for a complimentary glass of wine courtesy of Savannah Estate.

Tickets

Concert Duration

65 minutes without interval

Seonhye Song, violin
Nicholas Waters, violin
Isabella Bignasca, viola
Mee Na Lojewski, cello

The Artists

  • Melbourne-based Affinity Quartet earns its place as one of the most outstanding and awarded string quartets of its generation. At the 2023 Melbourne International String Quartet Competition Affinity was awarded the top three prizes - the Monash University Grand Prize, the Robert Salzer String Quartet First Prize, and the Audience Prize – becoming the first Australian ensemble to win the competition in its 32 year history. This milestone followed Second Prize awards at the Bad Tölz International String Quartet Competition (Germany) and the Mozart International String Quartet Competition (Austria). At the latter, Affinity Quartet was also awarded the Special Prize for Best Interpretation of a Contemporary Work for their performance of Brett Dean’s String Quartet no.3 ’Hidden Agendas’. In 2022 Affinity Quartet became the first Australian string quartet to reach the Finals of London’s Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, winning Third Prize.  

    Committed to accessibility and renewal in the string quartet form, Affinity celebrates its 10 year anniversary in 2025. Their public programs have become synonymous with excellence in Australian chamber music, earning praise for ‘captivating playing’ (Süddeutsche Zeitung), ‘flawless ensemble’ (Limelight Magazine), ‘highly committed’ (The Age), and ‘first class string playing’ (Classic Melbourne). Affinity Quartet performs and commissions new Australian works for string quartet. Première performances include works by Australian composers Brett Dean, Darrin Archer, Matt Laing, Tom Misson, Lee Bradshaw, and Sally Beamish (UK). Affinity’s 2024/25 Season includes premières by Alice Chance (AU), Heloise Werner (France), Alexandra Vrebalov (Serbia), Nicole Lizee (Canada) and Fode Lassana Diabate (Mali). Since 2023 Affinity Quartet receives professional mentorship from Günter Pichler (Alban Berg Quartet) during annual training residencies at The International Institute of Chamber Music, Madrid, which include live-streamed concerts in Spain.