SHOSTAKOVICH: UNPACKED
Across four night-time gatherings, take a front row seat to the raw, emotional power of one of the 20th century’s most troubled, yet defiant, musical voices.
The New Zealand String Quartet invites you to join us on the journey of 'Shostakovich: UNPACKED', a four-part concert series celebrating the works of the great composer, and the spirit of collaboration, in partnership with four beloved associate artists.
Together with Orchestra Wellington, Antipodes Quartet, Ghost Trio, and pianist Jian Liu, the NZSQ delves into the celebrated chamber music of Dimitri Shostakovich, in one of Wellington’s most exciting venues. Over four gatherings, we collectively grapple with the startling relevance of Shostakovich’s artistic voice in our world today, in this 50th anniversary year of the legendary composer’s death.
Each evening features a specially curated selection of Shostakovich's chamber music, ranging from piano trios to quartets, duos to octets, and even a full chamber orchestra. The works by Shostakovich will be paired with the 'Unpacked' works. This section of the programme will feature compositions which spotlight the unique voices of Aotearoa composers making their own artistic comment on the legacy of Shostakovich and on the world we inhabit today.
The series comes to a poignant close with an evening that will undoubtedly be one of the most special events of the 2025 arts calendar; a performance of the haunting Sonata for Viola and Piano, the very last work of Shostakovich, completed just weeks before his death.
Together, we explore and question what this powerful music meant in the time Shostakovich wrote it, and how his artistic voice resonates to this day.
Concert One:
Orchestra Wellington
Wednesday 9 July | 6:30pm & 8:30pm | Prefab Hall, Wellington
Artists onstage: NZSQ / Orchestra Wellington
Shostakovich: 3rd String Quartet, Chamber Symphony in C Minor
Unpacked: The music of Schnittke and Tatiana Riabinkina
Spotlight: Experiencing Shostakovich’s 8th string quartet adapted as a chamber symphony for full chamber orchestra is regularly acknowledged as one of the most powerful and intense experiences of the classical music world. The interior wooden panels of Prefab Hall provide one of the finest acoustics in the city, and have the effect of making the audience feel like they’re experiencing the music from within a musical instrument.
Concert Two:
Antipodes Quartet
Wednesday 6 August | 6:30pm | Prefab Hall, Wellington
Artists onstage: NZSQ / Antipodes Quartet
Shostakovich: 6th and 7th String Quartets, String Octet
Unpacked: The music of Gao Ping (world premiere)
Spotlight: Be part of Aotearoa’s musical history, as the first chapter of the newly formed Antipodes Quartet unfolds in their Wellington debut. Created as part of a visionary new partnership between NZSQ, Chamber Music New Zealand, and the Adam Chamber Music Festival, the next generation of leading chamber musicians step forward; two string quartets artistically colliding, joining forces to perform Shostakovich’s gripping octet.
Concert Three:
Ghost Trio
Wednesday 1 October | 6:30pm | Prefab Hall, Wellington
Artists onstage: NZSQ / Ghost Trio
Shostakovich: 4th String Quartet, Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano, 2nd Piano Trio
Unpacked: The music of Robert Burch
Spotlight: Feel the past merge with the present, as beloved former NZSQ member Monique Lapins joins current violinist Peter Clark in Shostakovich’s delightful work for two violins and piano. Ghost Trio conclude the evening with their celebrated virtuosity and emotional intensity in the second piano trio.
Concert Four:
Jian Liu
Tuesday 25 November | 6:30pm | Prefab Hall, Wellington
Artists onstage: NZSQ / Jian Liu
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet, Sonata for Viola and Piano
Unpacked: Special announcement to follow
Spotlight: The artistic culmination of “Shostakovich: UNPACKED”, and the heart of the entire series. Following a performance of Shostakovich’s celebrated Piano Quintet, bear witness to one of the most special artistic collaborations of 2025. Award-winning pianist Jian Liu joins beloved NZSQ founding member, Gillian Ansell MNZN, in the very last work written by Dimitri Shostakovich. Ending in hushed silence, and in almost total darkness, this concert will not only leave listeners deeply moved by what Shostakovich experienced throughout his own life but also inspire reflection of what we as human beings still experience throughout our world today.
