Ahead of AWO Chamber 8’s Australian tour, the violist explains how unfamiliar contexts can bring well-known chamber works to new life.

The Australian World Orchestra’s Chamber 8 – eight of Australia’s finest musicians on the international stage – will tour the country in July. Violist Tahlia Petrosian is the fifth of the eight to answer Limelight‘s Eight for Chamber 8.

Tahlia PetrosianViolist Tahlia Petrosian

What is your favourite piece of chamber music and why?

That’s a difficult question to answer because ultimately all music-making is chamber music. By that I mean that even in a large symphonic orchestra one employs the same skills one needs to play in a string quartet – performing music in a group is a constant mediation between listening to the others and contributing one’s own voice. It is exactly like having a conversation.

So, to answer this question I would have to look at all the works composed regardless of the size of the ensemble for which they were written and choose one! A further factor impacting my answer would be considering whether I would be listening to these works or performing them… but to simplify my answer I would...