Zephyr Quartet
IT'S BEEN A BIG YEAR for Adelaides Zephyr Quartet.
The genre-defying outfit turned 20, bagged themselves an Art Music Prize, and announced an impending hiatus.
But don’t worry! They’re making an appearance in the Top End for the first time before they hit pause.
Founding member and cellist Hilary Kleinig says the group is excited to share their show with fans and fans-to-be.
“We’ll be sharing some of our original compositions, the stories behind the music, as well as some covers of some classic pop songs that we really love. Audiences often find our music very approachable yet interesting, moving, stirring and thought-provoking – we hope that it resonates with audiences in Darwin also,” she says.
The Quartet will soon take a break to focus on individual projects, ranging from running an arts centre to opening a psychologist practice.
For Kleinig, she will be putting the final touches on her project The Lost Art of Listening.
“It’s a research, development and composition project that investigates how being connected twenty-four-seven has changed how we listen to and engage with music and performance. I’m using this research to inform the composition of a 60-minute performance piece for prepared piano and audience played smartphone choir,” she says.
Kleinig says it’s this flexibility to pursue other creative and professional passions that has contributed to the Quartet’s success and longevity.
“One of the reasons that Zephyr has been able to sustain itself over many years has been an ongoing willingness to embrace each other’s personal and professional needs, and to recognise these as an asset to the Quartet,” she says.
Looking back over the last 20 years, Kleinig has plenty of fond memories and highlights, but one of her faves is one of the most humble.
“As well as major projects, some-thing that I love the most is playing a gig at our favourite local pub, The Wheatsheaf Hotel, where we have played regularly for many years. I love that in the audience we have such a wide demographic of people – from babies, to kids, to adults, to grandmothers – all together in the room, sharing some moments in sound together.”
Zephyr Quartet Fri 22 Nov | 8pm | Darwin Entertainment Centre | $25-$49 | yourcentre.com.au
