“Chemistry” has to be one of the most commonly used but ill-defined words in the classical music lexicon. We all understand that a great chamber music experience depends on it – but what exactly is it, and where does it come from? 

Few musicians are better placed to ponder those questions than Australian Chamber Orchestra principal violist Stefanie Farrands, who has joined the internationally acclaimed Sitkovetsky Trio for the first time on its Australian tour.

Stefanie Farrands and the Sitkovetsky Trio at UKARIA Cultural Centre. Photo © Ben Nicholls

The trio – violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky, cellist Isang Enders and pianist Wu Qian – already has chemistry in spades. Friends since their student days at the Yehudi Menuhin School, they’ve gone on to perform in the world’s leading concert halls, win the BBC Music Magazine Chamber Music Award and earn widespread acclaim for their Beethoven recordings.

Sitting down to play with such an established ensemble could easily feel intimidating. After all, that kind of chemistry is hard won and particular.

“It’s always a very thin tightrope to walk along,” Farrands says. “It requires me to relinquish all preconceived ideas and absorb everything that...