Now in its fourth year, the Blackheath Chamber Music Festival returns with a rich program including Ensemble Offspring and Eliza Shephard’s world premiere performance of a newly commissioned quartet by Harry Sdraulig; the NSW premiere of Elena Kats-Chernin’s For Theodora by Orava Quartet; harpist Louise Johnson’s journey through the history of music; a farewell performance by the Goldner String Quartet; and John Bell and Tobias Breider’s A Few of Our Favourite Things (John Bell features in My Music on page 66).

Limelight Editor’s Choice

We are very excited to have to the Goldners with us once again, but with certain sadness as 2024 marks the 30th and Final Season of the Goldner String Quartet.

They will be performing one of Beethoven’s great Razumovsky Quartets, with a particularly sublime slow movement which Beethoven wrote, apparently after contemplating the night sky and “the music of the spheres”. Each of Beethoven’s three Razumovsky Quartets contain a traditional Russian theme, as does the other featured work they’ll play—Tchaikovsky’s Andante Cantabile.

The Goldner Variations were commissioned by AFCM Townsville for the Quartet’s 25th Anniversary in 2020, but only received their premiere in 2022. For this, the Goldners compiled 25 assorted composers’ interpretations on Beethoven’s theme, Ode to Joy—wonderfully varied and great fun. They will play all of them and …“possibly 5 new ‘babies’ to make the full 30!”