Zephyr Quartet is a string quartet from Adelaide that has been active since 1999.
Biography[]
The members of Zephyr Quartet compose and arrange music for the ensemble to play and also commission and perform new work by contemporary composers. ZQ have toured extensively for Musica Viva as a part of their Country Wide, Schools and Export programs: nationally in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales and internationally to the Philippines, upon invitation by DFAT and the Embassy there, to take part in their ‘Celebrate Australia' week in January 2013. ZQ have self-produced tours interstate, taking part in festivals and events in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne, and has on ongoing relationship with the Adelaide Festival Centre and the Melbourne Recital Centre. They attended and performed as part of APAM in 2012 and 2010. They are often invited to perform at festivals, nationally and internationally, including WOMADelaide, Soundstream: New Music Festival, Holland Dance Festival, Edinburgh International Arts Festival and the Murray River International Music Festival. As part of the Adelaide Festivals in 2013 and 2014 they have shared the stage with Kronos Quartet playing with JG Thirwell's Manorexia and have also played with Demdike Stare and Stars of the Lid in the Unsound Festival.
Zephyr enjoys national airplay on ABC Classic FM, Radio National and has made several appearances on ABC TV's Arts programs. A range of writers including Finegan Kruckemeyer, Nicki Bloom, Rob Walker, Mike Ladd and Gary Soto feature in their recently released third CD of original music - a music/poetry collaboration - "A Rain from the Shadows". In addition to recording their own work Zephyr Quartet often records the music of other composers, including "Music For Airport Furniture" by Stephen Whittington which was released by Californian record label ‘Cold Blue Music' in 2013 to international critical acclaim. In 2016 Zephyr Quartet also joined with local duo VoiceROM and released the album VoiceQuartet under the artist name of ZephyrROM.
Awards[]
Zephyr Quartet have been awarded two Ruby Awards (SA Government Award) in the category of Innovation (2009 and 2015). They have also twice received the State Award for Performance of the Year in the APRA/AMCOS Australian Art Music Awards (2012 and 2016). In November 2018, the Zephyr Quartet was recognised with the UNESCO International Collaboration Award at the South Australian Music Awards. In August 2019, the Quartet won the APRA Award for Excellence by an Organisation, a national award by the Australasian Performing Right Association, AMCOS and the Australian Music Centre in Sydney, in the Art Music Awards category. The judges' comments included: “defies genre, style and expectation”, and mentioned its 20-year history of having “fearlessly championed new Australian work” and "sustained contribution to the local, national and international arts scene”.
Members[]
Current members
- Belinda Gehlert - Violin
- Emily Tulloch - Violin
- Jason Thomas - Viola
- Hilary Kleinig - Cello
Past members
- Anna Webb - Viola
Discography[]
- Zephyr - (2002)
- Esque - (2007)
- A Rain From the Shadows - (2012)
- Music for Airport Furniture - (2013)
- Resonance - (2015)
- Aspirations - (2018)
- Epilogue - (2020)