ASQ return to the International Stage

The Australian String Quartet (ASQ) will perform in Italy and Spain this September, marking their return to the international stage.

The ASQ will perform upon invitation at Italy’s annual international music festival, MITO SettembreMusica. Since 2007, the MITO SettembreMusica Festival has united the two cities of Turin and Milan through music and the ASQ will perform two concerts, one in Milan and one in Turin, of works by Haydn, Mozart and Australia’s own Nigel Westlake. They will give the Italian Premiere of Westlake’s String Quartet No.3, Sacred Sky, which the ensemble commissioned with the generous support of Carl Wood and Don & Veronica Aldridge in 2019.

“It has been almost five years since the ASQ last performed in Europe , so it is with immense gratitude and excitement that we will return this September,” says ASQ violinist Dale Barltrop. “We will be performing concerts in the MITO International Music Festival, which is held in the two vibrant northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin.”

“Our travels will then take us to a charming, medieval hilltop town called Todi, in the region of Umbria, where we will perform a concert and work with local students from the region.” 

Breana Stillman of OperAffinity, organisers of the Todi Musica Festival, says “the event aims to strengthen the accessibility and appreciation of classical and international music through top quality performances as well as community engagement & participation. We are excited to welcome the Australian String Quartet and showcase Australian talent in the beautiful town of Todi in Umbria, further building on the strong ties between Italy and Australia.”

To finish their international engagements for 2023, “we unite with our dear friends, the Sydney Dance Company, to present our highly acclaimed production of Impermanence at the Teatro del Canal,” says Barltrop. “It is with a great sense of pride that we once again have the opportunity to share our music with audiences far and wide.”

“The ASQ’s return to Europe provides a significant opportunity to re-establish long-standing artistic and diplomatic relationships and forge new opportunities for creativity, innovation, and cultural exchange,” says ASQ Chief Executive, Angelina Zucco.

“Our collaboration with SDC for the long-awaited European premiere of Impermanence in September 2023 celebrates the strength of artistic collaboration and honours the power of human connections as we expand our global reach.”

The ASQ’s international engagement is made possible through the generous support of their Major Partner – The University of Adelaide, Government Partners – Arts South Australia, the Australia Council for the Arts, Instrument Partners – UKARIA, and international project partners the Australian Embassy, Rome, Todi Musica, OperAffinity, Comune di Todi and Real Arts.