New Zealand String Quartet

About

Established in 1987, the New Zealand String Quartet (NZSQ) is the nation's sole full-time ensemble of its kind, comprising Helene Pohl (1st violin), Monique Lapins (2nd violin), Gillian Ansell (viola), and Rolf Gjelsten (cello). Renowned for their dynamic performances, the NZSQ presents over eighty concerts annually across New Zealand and abroad, gracing esteemed international festivals like the Festival of the Sound in Ontario and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Queensland. As resident artists at the Adam Chamber Music Festival and Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music, the quartet demonstrates a profound commitment to fostering musical excellence, with a diverse discography that includes acclaimed recordings of Mendelssohn, Douglas Lilburn, and Béla Bartók's string quartets, among others.