E.M. Forster’s exhortation “Only connect!” now has added relevance as arts organisations go digital to get an audience during the pandemic. One of the most fleet-footed groups to adapt to the “new normal” has been the Australian String Quartet.

The Adelaide-based ensemble’s 2020 season reached wider audiences through a series of online live concerts from the Ukaria concert hall, and with live performances restricted to SA, WA and Tasmania at the time of writing fans from other states should check out the exceptional Anthology series on the ASQ website.

Australian String Quartet. Photo © Polyphonic Pictures

The pieces by 11 Australian composers are available on Spotify and have been released featuring the quartet’s 2020 line up, led by Dale Barltrop with Francesca Hiew, violins, violist Stephen King and cellist Sharon Grigoryan. The last two have gone on to other things to be replaced by Michael Dahlenburg on cello and Christopher Cartlidge on viola.

Beautifully performed and with a production that highlights the glorious sound of the ASQ’s quartet of Guadagnini instruments, the series features...