Chinese string quartet debuts in New Zealand

Amber Quartet played Mendelssohn's String Quartet No 6 in F Minor, Op 80, and Mozart's String Quartet No 19 in C Major, K 465, as well as Chinese Folk Song Suite for String Quartet, a new piece by composer Guo Wenjing, during their New Zealand tour.

The Suite for String Quartet was originated from folk songs of different parts of China, including Sichuan province, and the Xizang and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions, for audiences to experience various natural landscapes in China such as mountains, grasslands and rivers.

At the concert, Amber Quartet also cooperated with Christchurch musician Mark Menzies by playing his composition, The Hidden Glass Queen's Adorable Illusion.

Founded in 2005 at the Central Conservatory of Music, Amber Quartet represents the highest level of chamber music in China.

Grateful for the efforts to "bring this audio-visual feast to South Island," Consul General He said more high-level cultural delegations from China will be invited to provide co-performances with local artists in order to further deepen friendship and jointly create a better future for China-New Zealand relations.

With the theme of "the art of collaboration," the event was co-hosted by the Chinese consulate general in Christchurch, the Chinese Network of International Culturalink Entities, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, and the China Cultural Center in Wellington.