Tchaikovsky’s trademark qualities of drama, raw emotion and lyrical beauty shine in his String Quartet No.1. The composer noted in his diary after a performance of the work at the Moscow Conservatorium that “never in my life have I felt so flattered and proud of my creative ability as when Leo Tolstoy, sitting next to me, heard my andante with tears coursing down his cheeks.”

Alongside the Tchaikovsky, this concert also features a new work from Adelaide University PhD student Aaron Pelle.