Acacia Quartet Perform World Premieres By Whitwell And Twist
Harbour Light, Acacia Quartet’s final concert in their 2016 Utzon Room series, celebrates new string quartets by multi-award winning Australian composers Joe Twist, Sally Whitwell and Nick Wales alongside favourites by American composers Philip Glass, George Gershwin and Bernard Herrmann.
The works by Sally Whitwell and Joe Twist, especially commissioned by Acacia for this occasion, touch on feelings of love, longing, adventure and humour. These two world premieres perfectly match the serene music of Company by Philip Glass, the little known Lullaby by George Gershwin and the beautiful Harbour Light by Nick Wales.
In contrast, Echoes by Bernard Herrmann, composer of the film music in Psycho and Vertigo, is a work of dramatic and nostalgic remembrances.
Acacia Quartet was formed just six years ago by violinists Lisa Stewart and Myee Clohessy, violist Stefan Duwe and cellist Anna Martin-Scrase. In that time, Acacia Quartet has become one of Australia’s most acclaimed and sought after string quartets. Two-time finalists for the ARIA Award for ‘Best Classical Album’, they were also nominated for an APRA-AMCOS Art Music Award for Excellence. Their album Blue Silence – the complete quartets by Elena Kats-Chernin was chosen as ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Limelight Magazine and ‘CD of The Week’ on ABC Classic FM. Their six albums receive regular air play on ABC Classic FM and on Fine Music 102.5 where the quartet has been Artist-in-Residence since 2014.
The programme: Nick Wales – Harbour Light/ Philip Glass – String Quartet No 2 ‘Company’ / Joe Twist – Sb’s Romantic Adventure’ world premiere) / Sally Whitwell – Face The Sun (world premiere)/ George Gershwin – Lullaby/ Bernard Herrmann Echoes.
