Off the springboard of its recent 40th birthday bash, the Australian String Quartet (ASQ) has announced its 2026 season. Two national tours, two festivals and a handful of accomplished guest musicians define a musical year that “brims with personality”, according to ASQ violist Chris Cartlidge.

The Australian String Quartet. Credit © Simple

“At its heart, a string quartet is a conversation. Four voices listening and responding to one another, creating something greater than any one of us alone. Each performance is a chance to bring that conversation to life, inviting you to become part of the music we create together,” he said.

“We can’t wait to share this journey with you next year, wherever we meet – in a concert hall, at a festival, or somewhere completely unexpected.”

The ASQ’s two national tours travel to Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Mount Barker, Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne across the season.

The first tour, Interwoven (11–21 May), borrows its title from Australian composer Elizabeth Younan’s First String Quartet, a work tightly packed with polyphony. It’s paired with Prokofiev’s Second...