upcoming tours

Acacia quartet with international guests Emile cantor and Laurentiu Sbarcea sextets

An Australian audience favourite, Acacia Quartet, paired with phenomenal international guests, Emile Cantor and Laurentiu Sbarcea, form an incomparable string sextet that will tour the Riverina and South-West NSW this April.  

Performing two of the most beautiful and well-loved string sextets, Dvorak's Op. 48 and Brahms' Op. 36, this tour also includes the world premiere of a new work from Australian composer Lyle Chan.                                                     

Beginning with Dvorak's only string sextet, Op. 48, this work was written just as Dvorak's career began to truly flourish. With strong folk influences, particularly evident in the second movement, this lively work will leave you with a powerful sense of optimism. 

Following is Lyle Chan’s exciting new work, which serves as a bridge to these two well-known compositions through the theme of friendship. Lyle Chan said: “When I learned that my new piece would be programmed between the sextets by the close friends Brahms and Dvorak, I knew right away what my job was – to provide a modern music that contrasted with their sumptuous romantic sounds and be a pleasurable change of mood, yet without breaking the magical spell that their music weaved.” 

“Above all, their friendship expands to become the theme of the concert and my new piece taps into that — Acacia Quartet have been my closest musical collaborators, and we bring new friends to each other all the time. I feel like my music’s role is to invite their two friends, Emile and Laurentiu, into a great conversation that we’ve been having for years.” 

Sextets will then conclude with Brahms Op. 36. The second of Brahms’ sextets, which begins to outline his most recognisable style. Mostly written in the German countryside, this work will feel familiar, outlining the beauty of NSW's regional backdrop across the tour.