Helene Pohl, Anna van der Zee, violins, Nicholas Hancox, viola and Rolf Gjelsten, cello

Franz Schubert - String Trio in B Flat

Dmitri Shostakovich - Quartet No. 10, Elegy and Polka

Joseph Haydn - Quartet op. 76#5

TIckets

$40 General Admission

$5 Under 18

Rolf Gjelsten grew up in Victoria, Canada, in a Norwegian family of folk dancers. In his teens, he became an accomplished accordionist before focussing on cello studies with James Hunter and Janos Starker. In 1975, he was awarded the silver medal in the Canadian National Music Festival. At 22 he joined the Berlin Symphony Orchestra in Germany. Rolf furthered his cello studies with Zara Nelsova and chamber music with such eminent groups as the LaSalle, Hungarian, Vermeer, Cleveland and Emerson string quartets. As a member of the Laurentian Quartet he toured internationally as well as teaching cello at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. During this time he was also a member of the New York Piano Trio. In 1990 he continued studies with the great Casals protege Bernard Greenhouse at Rutgers University from where he received his doctoral degree. He has given masterclasses in solo and chamber music all over the world. Rolf was a member of the NZSQ for 30 years. In 2014 he was awarded a MNZM for services to music.

Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for her “personal directness, warmth and lyricism, combined with fully formed technique,” Helene Pohl has just celebrated her 31st anniversary of moving to New Zealand.  She was first violinist of the Fidelio Quartet from 1988-93, and spent 30 years as first violinist of the New Zealand String Quartet, with whom she performed over 2000 concerts worldwide, premiered hundreds of NZ compositions and recorded many CDs.  Her students from 3 decades of teaching at Victoria University are members of the NZSO, the Christchurch Symphony, play chamber music, teach, compose and add value to New Zealand’s cultural life in myriad ways.  Equally committed to nurturing younger students, Helene is Patron of Arohanui Strings+, teaches at Suzuki camps and workshops, and founded the Queen’s BD Chamber Music Weekend (now the Chamber Music Mega Weekend) in 2014.  She was awarded an MNZM for her outstanding services to music in New Zealand.  She is a Thomastik-Infeld Artist.  helenepohl.com          

Anna van der Zee

Originally from Paeroa, Anna van der Zee is a member of the first violin section of the NZSO.  Trained in Wellington, Germany and USA, Anna co-founded the Tasman String Quartet. The quartet ventured to Boulder, Colorado for two years to study under the Takacs Quartet. They picked up prizes in chamber music competitions in Florida, Missouri and Melbourne. Alongside her work with the NZSO, Anna runs Karori Classics - a series of monthly chamber music concerts supporting local charities. She plays regularly in chamber music groups with her NZSO colleagues and is a core member of contemporary ensemble Stroma.

Nicholas Hancox joined the NZSO viola section in 2019 following almost seven years as principal violist of the Lübeck Philharmonic in Germany.  His studies include a Concert Diploma from the School of Music and Theatre in Munich with Hariolf Schlichtig, a Master of Music from the University of Michigan with Yizhak Schotten and a Bachelor of Music/Hons from Victoria University with NZSQ violist Gillian Ansell.