Barton & Brodsky

The pairing of incomparable didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton together with the musicians of the Brodsky Quartet is a sensational combination and a first for New Zealand audiences.

The programme unites icons of the classical canon with Barton’s own music, along with the New Zealand premiere of Andrew Ford’s quartet written during the bushfires of late 2019.  Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe resonates alongside New Zealand’s Salina Fisher, with Janáček and Stravinsky keeping the energy and excitement of this remarkable programme high from start to finish.

William Barton is Australia’s most celebrated didgeridoo virtuoso. The sounds that he creates from this apparently simple, elemental instrument are quite extraordinary; his performances generate awe, even disbelief, in his listeners. His didgeridoo virtuoso has earned him the honour of performing with prestigious orchestras that include the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle.

With 50 years of music making to their credit, Britain’s Brodsky Quartet are phenomenal collaborators and have crossed paths with other artists such as Elvis Costello, Björk and Dawn Upshaw. The Brodskys, who have for a long time been enthusiastic advocates of Sculthorpe’s quartets, fulfilled their long time wish to perform with William Barton through several collaborations in recent years.