CONCERT & AUDIENCE FAQS

A string quartet is a musical group made up of two violins, a viola and a cello. Typically, a string quartet plays chamber music, a sub-genre of classical music characterized by its intimate and small-scale nature. Unlike orchestral music, which involves large ensembles and a wide array of instruments, chamber music typically features a small group of musicians, ranging from two to about ten performers.

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The string quartet is the most common type of chamber music ensemble and over the centuries many great pieces of music have been written specifically for this configuration of players. Originally, chamber music was performed at home, or other small spaces. The audience can sit close to the musicians and immerse themselves in the performance.

We play a wide range of music, from pieces that were written several centuries ago to pieces written by New Zealand composers just for us. Our aim is to push the boundaries of what classical music can be and expand our understanding of who it is for. To do this, we often collaborate with other artists to create cross-genre experiences. From jazz to Irish Trad to taonga pūoro to other world music. We also work with other artforms to bring the intimacy and vigour of the string quartet into dance shows and theatrical performances.

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Throughout all of this we enjoy performing music that is hundreds of years old by the great composers. Works by Haydn (considered to be the father of the string quartet), Beethoven and Mozart make regular appearances in our programmes.

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Listen to our recordings.

Please wear what feels comfortable. If you focus best on the music in jeans, that’s great. If you like to dress up for concerts, that’s great too – so do we!

That’s ok! We know that chamber music isn’t for everyone, but we encourage you to give it a go at least once. When it comes to understanding the music, we give a spoken introduction to each piece before we play it. This is to give you a bit of context about when and why the piece was written, what the composer was trying to say and things to listen out for during the performance. Most people find that these spoken introductions help them uncover a hidden depth to the music that they hadn’t heard before.

A lot of the pieces of music written for string quartet can last between 20 to 30 minutes, or longer. These compositions are often broken up into four movements. Between each movement is a short break (15 to 20 seconds). Typically, we don’t applaud between movements, only at the end of the entire piece, after the fourth movement. However, most contemporary pieces are shorter and only have one movement. If in doubt, you can take your cues from the people around you.

Photos may be taken before or after the performance. Please be considerate to other audience members enjoying the live experience and check out the many videos on our YouTube channel, rather than taking your own. During the concert itself, please switch your phone to silent or off.

We usually open the doors 30 minutes prior to the start of a concert. Concert lengths can vary from one hour, to two hours with an interval halfway through. Please check the details listed on the specific event page.

Most of our concerts can be bought online or over the phone via Eventfinda or other agencies affiliated with the venue we’re performing in. The easiest way to book is to follow the links on the event page. We list all of our concerts on our 'Upcoming Events' page.

If you have thoughts or feedback that you would like to share with us after attending a concert, we would love to hear from you!

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If you are the primary ticketholder (i.e. your purchased the tickets for your group using your email address) then we will usually send you a short survey to fill out in the days after the concert. If you do not receive this survey, then you are more than welcome to reach out to us via email: nzsq@nzsq.org.nz