Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Zephyr Quartet is dedicated to introducing new audiences to the string quartet medium and to demonstrating the versatility of the medium to existing audiences. Over the last eight years Zephyr has established itself as one of Australia’s most versatile string quartets, performing in varied venues around Adelaide, Australia and overseas.

Zephyr delights in presenting an eclectic repertoire, often arranging and composing pieces themselves and always delivering them with the utmost conviction, musicianship and passion.

Armed with a spirit of collaboration, Zephyr welcomes and initiates exciting new projects and partnerships between leading artists in varied art forms. This has led them into the worlds of dance and theatre where they have worked with companies such as Leigh Warren and Dancers, Restless Dance Company, Tutti Ensemble, State Theatre of SA, State Opera of SA and the Festival Theatre's Inspace program, and into composing for film and bands. Zephyr has also worked with many visual artists including Hossein and Angela Valamanesh and recently collaborated with Adelaide based poets Yahia Al-Samawy and Rob Walker.

Zephyr has received tuition from the Takacs Quartet, the Australian String Quartet and at the National Academy of Music, performed at festivals including the Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Fringe, WOMADelaide, Barossa Music Festival and the Glenelg Jazz Festival and has presented concert series from 2004 to 2007 to great critical acclaim.

Zephyr has a continuing commitment to the development and promotion of contemporary classical music and often commissions and performs works by living composers. In 2006 Zephyr presented two concerts of entirely new works by young living composers based in Adelaide, Sydney and London. In 2007 the quartet commissioned works by James Cuddeford and David Kotlowy. For 2008 the quartet will present one concert entirely of works by the members of the quartet as well as a follow-up event to 2006’s highly successful Electro-Acoustic Project, involving commissioning more of Australia’s fine young composers. The preparation for this concert was filmed for ABC TV and featured on the Sunday Arts program.

Zephyr is also committed to presenting concerts in an education context and often performs for primary and secondary school students as a part of the Musica Viva in Schools program. In 2007 the quartet travelled to North-Western NSW and performed over fifty concerts. 2008 will involve seven weeks of schools’ concerts.

In 2007 Zephyr was awarded the Ruby Award in the category of Innovation. This prestigious recognition was awarded for the group’s 2006 Electro-Acoustic Project. Also in 2007, Zephyr completed a studio recording for ABC Classic FM and have been heard on the Rising Stars and Drive programs. The quartet has toured extensively for Musica Viva’s CountryWide program, including a week of drought relief concerts in Victoria’s Wimmera region, and also presented a successful and diverse three concert series in Adelaide.

The release of their second CD caps off an excellently productive and successful year.

Zephyr Quartet

Belinda Gehlert and Emily Tulloch, violins
Anna Webb, viola
Hilary Kleinig, cello