For those familiar with his music, it can’t come as much of surprise that young composer Harry Sdraulig is having another big year. In September, he’s got a new work for Sydney Chamber Choir; in October, a new work premiering with Omega Ensemble’s Concertante; and another premiering with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. That’s not to count the three world premieres that already aired in April.

Harry Sdraulig. Photo © Charlie Sdraulig

One of those April performances was a preview of his String Quartet No. 2 by the Australian String Quartet (ASQ) at the Dunkeld Festival of Music. Now, the ASQ are about to perform the national premiere season of the work on its latest tour, Vanguard, alongside Beethoven’s Op. 127 Quartet and Korngold’s Second String Quartet.

“The ASQ is phenomenally virtuosic. It’s got this incredible precision in delivery, but it also really traverses the full range of expressive colour,” Sdraulig tells Limelight.

“It’s a funny thing, I think, writing for string quartet, because there’s such a baggage of history around the form. Almost every great composer has written for string quartet, so I feel a little bit of extra pressure, especially...