The trailblazing Australian Flinder Quartet has announced its new season for 2022, including a total of eight premieres. The combination of new works and classic staples of the repertoire are all part of Flinders Quartet’s continuing work toward gender-balanced programming and renewed relevance in chamber music.

Flinders Quartet. Photo © Pia Johnson.

“Flinders Quartet (FQ) is constantly challenging the role of the string quartet in 21st century Australia. 2020 saw the quartet reflect on their reason for being and they made the bold move to commit to gender-balanced programming in their mainstream subscription season – without actually telling anyone. Flinders Quartet doesn’t program music according to gender, rather the group looks for musical connections that relate today’s composers with the grand history of the string quartet canon,” said Flinders Quartet in a media release.

FQ’s first performance for 2022 is a special one, forming part of its Margaret Sutherland Festival on 27 March, highlighting the work of one Australia’s most celebrated composers. The quartet will be joined by guest artists oboist Ben Opie (a long time Sutherland advocate)...