Event Details
Nov 8
Black Barn Bistro
Join us at **Black Barn Bistro** for a special evening celebrating the art of storytelling through music and a **2-course dinner** created by the chefs at the award-winning restaurant.
The **Legend** programme opens with **Ludwig van Beethoven**’s high-octane and form-breaking 'String Quartet No. 11, Op. 95', that continues to surprise and thrill audiences to this day. The programme continues with acclaimed Auckland composer **Claire Cowan**’s ‘Sweet Suite: Hansel and Gretel highlights’ - a magical reimagining of her internationally celebrated ballet score, which was the first full-length ballet composed by a New Zealand woman and enjoyed an incredible 5-week, sold-out national tour by the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2019. The Quartet will bring their 2026 Season to a close with a tribute to the fiftieth anniversary of **Benjamin Britten**’s death, with his third and final string quartet. This quietly luminous piece, based on themes from his final opera, Death in Venice, serves as a poignant musical farewell, made even more profound by the fact it was the last major work Britten ever composed.
The concert programme, crafted in the NZSQ’s signature style, aims to engage audiences of all levels of familiarity with chamber music. Each piece is preceded by a friendly and informative introduction by the Quartet members, shedding light on the stories behind the music, making it an enriching experience for everyone.