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Our 2008--2009
Past Seasons: |
The New Zealand String Quartet
The New Zealand String Quartet has distinguished itself internationally through its powerful communication, dramatic energy, and beauty of sound. The Quartet's discography includes works by Bartok, Ravel, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Dvorak, Szekely, Berg, Wolf and numerous New Zealand composers. Dedicated teachers as well as performers, the group has been Quartet-in-Residence at Victoria University of Wellington, now the New Zealand School of Music, since 1991. In North America they have been artist/teachers-in-residence at the Banff Center, Quartet Fest West, and the Quartet Programme at Bucknell in Pennsylvania. Born in Ithaca, New York to German parents, violinist Helene Pohl spent her childhood on both sides of the Atlantic and began her musical studies at age four. At 17 she was accepted for tertiary study at the Musikhochschule Cologne. She continued her studies at the Eastman School of Music and at Indiana University. She was first violinist of the San Francisco based Fidelio String Quartet (1988-1993), which was prizewinner in the 1991 London International String Quartet Competition and quartet in residence at both the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals. Helene joined the New Zealand String Quartet as first violinist in February 1994 and became a New Zealand citizen in 1997. In 2001 she became Artistic Director, with fellow quartet member Gillian Ansell, of the Adam New Zealand Festival of Chamber Music. A native of Kansas, violinist Douglas Beilman studied at the Julliard School and the New England Conservatory of Music. He then completed his Master of Music degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Before joining the New Zealand String Quartet in 1989 he was first violinist of the Sierra String Quartet, the first resident quartet at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's Chamber Music Centre. The Sierra Quartet was a prizewinner at the 1988 Portsmouth International String Quartet Competition (now the London International String Quartet Competition). Douglas was a co-founder of the Adam New Zealand Festival of Chamber Music and was its artistic Director until 2001. He has been soloist and guest leader of the New Zealand Chamber Orchestra and has performed concertos with other New Zealand orchestras. He is a founding member of the 20th century ensemble CadeNZa. Violist Gillian Ansell was born in Auckland, New Zealand and began violin and piano lessons at an early age. At 16 years she made her concerto debut with the Auckland Symphonia (now the Auckland Philharmonia). An Associated Board Scholarship to study violin, viola and piano took Gillian to the Royal College of Music in London where she won several prizes. She then took up a German Academic Exchange (DAAD) scholarship for further study in Germany at the Musikhochschule Cologne. After working professionally in London for three years she returned to New Zealand to become a founding member of the New Zealand String Quartet. She was second violinist for two years before taking up the position of violist of the group. In 2001 she became Artistic Director, with fellow quartet member Helene Pohl, of the Adam New Zealand Festival of Chamber Music. Cellist Rolf Gjelsten began cello in his native state Victoria, Canada. At 22 he became the youngest member of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. Rolf returned to North America to study. He was a member of the Laurtentian Quartet for almost a decade and taught cello at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. He was also a member of the New York Piano Trio. Rolf furthered his studies in 1990 at Rutgers University from where he received his doctoral degree in cello. In May 1994 he joined the New Zealand String Quartet and became a New Zealand citizen in 1997. |
