For their first concert of 2026, Phoenix Collective delve deeply into themes of love and romance. Written as a gift for his wife, cellist Alexander Borodin’s tender String Quartet no 2, with its famous slow movement, remains the gold standard of Romantic chamber music.

By contrast, Australian superstar composer Ella Macens’s hauntingly beautiful ‘A Love Worth Fighting For’ details an emotional response to a relationship break-up. Three Scandinavian traditional wedding tunes balance out the program, each one artfully representing different stages of married life.