2026 National Tours & Festivals

Season 2026

WELCOME TO OUR 2026 NATIONAL TOURS AND FESTIVALS

At its heart, a string quartet is a conversation. Four voices listening and responding to one another, creating something greater than any one of us alone. Each performance is a chance to bring that conversation to life, inviting you to become part of the music we create together. 

In 2026 you’ll hear us dive into music that brims with personality. Interwoven sparkles with Haydn’s wit, Prokofiev’s fire, Clara Schumann’s lyricism, and the vivid colours of Elizabeth Younan, one of Australia’s most distinctive new voices. Voyager sets off in a different direction, with Garth Knox’s shifting Satellites, Bartók’s fierce fourth quartet, and Beethoven’s mighty Op.130 with its towering Grosse Fuge

We’ll also be welcoming friends to join the conversation. At the Dunkeld Festival of Music, we play alongside Dimity Hall and Julian Smiles, two of the country’s most inspiring chamber musicians, and the brilliant pianist Andrea Lam. Later, we return to the Barossa Valley for a weekend of music, good company, and the rich atmosphere of that region, and are joined by Punjabi-Australian singing royalty Parvyn Kaur Singh and the extraordinary multi-instrumentalist Josh Bennett. 

And these are only some of the highlights. Across the year there will be more to discover—concerts around the country, collaborations with new voices, and projects that come to life both on stage and in the digital spaces that connect us.

For us, the magic of the quartet isn’t only in the notes on the page. It’s in the shared breath before the first sound, the stillness after the last, and everything that happens in between. We can’t wait to share this journey with you in 2026, wherever we meet—in a concert hall, at a festival, or somewhere completely unexpected.

See you soon

Chris, Francesca, Dale and Michael
Australian String Quartet

INTERWOVEN

Touring Mon 11—Thu 21 May 2026

A stunning array of musical threads that intersect in a program of vivid contrasts.

ELIZABETH YOUNAN
String Quartet No.1, Interwoven

HAYDN
String Quartet in A Major, Op.20 No.6

PROKOFIEV
String Quartet No.2 in F Major, Op.92

CLARA SCHUMANN
Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op.20 (arr. Éric Mouret)

VOYAGER

Touring Mon 12—Thu 29 October 2026

A journey to the outer limits of the string quartet.

GARTH KNOX
Satellites

BARTÓK
String Quartet No.4

BEETHOVEN
String Quartet in B-flat Major Major, Op.130, and Grosse Fuge, Op.133

DUNKELD FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

Three remarkable days of music in Victoria’s Southern Grampians. In 2026 we are joined by renowned guest artists pianist Andrea Lam, and two lifetime members of the Goldner String Quartet, violinist Dimity Hall and cellist Julian Smiles.

Festival One Wed 25—Fri 27 March 2026
Festival Two Fri 27—Sun 29 March 2026

BAROSSA WEEKEND OF MUSIC

Unique musical experiences set within South Australia’s historic Barossa wine region. Over this memorable weekend, we will share some of our favourite string quartets, along with performances by award-winning singer Parvyn Kaur Singh and multi-instrumentalist Josh Bennett. 

Fri 18—Sun 20 September 2026

This festival will go on sale in early 2026