String Quartet: Beethoven and Webern – Christine Wang, Julia Broom, Alex McFarlane and Ken Ichinose

Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 10 in Eb Major, Op. 74 “Harp”
Webern’s Langsamer Satz (Slow Movement)

Join us for the weekly lunchtime concert series at St Andrew’s on The Terrace. This week, we present a string quartet of NZSO musicians: Christine Wang, Julia Broom, Alex McFarlane and Ken Ichinose.

Christine Wang – Violin
Prior to joining the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra this year, Christine was Assistant Concertmaster of San Antonio Symphony. She has also freelanced in orchestras in the United States and Australia and contracted with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra . She holds a Bachelor of Music from Eastman School of Music and Master of Music at Rice University, studying with Oleh Krysa and Kathleen Winkler respectively.

Julia Broom – Violin
Julia Broom has recently returned to New Zealand from Sydney to take up her position with the NZSO. In Australia she worked with the Opera Australia Orchestra for 13 years, and also played with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. She has worked frequently as a session musician for Trackdown Studios and been involved in recording many film scores. Julia studied Violin Performance with Mary O’Brien at the University of Auckland, graduating with First Class Honours. During this time she received a number of prizes for chamber music, and led both the Auckland University Orchestra and the Auckland Youth Orchestra. She then received scholarships, including from Creative NZ, to pursue further study with Ilona Sie Dhian Ho at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. While in the Netherlands Julia was Concertmaster of the Royal Conservatory Classical Orchestra, and performed with various contemporary music ensembles. During her time in Europe she participated in summer schools and performed at festivals, including in Gutenstein, Austria. Julia has also completed a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies from the University of Sydney.

Alex McFarlane– Viola
New Zealand violist Alexander McFarlane is Associate Principal Viola with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He studied with David Takeno towards a Master’s degree and an Artist Diploma at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Alex is experienced as a solo, recital, and chamber music performer, having performed in venues including the Wigmore Hall and the Barbican Hall, and collaborated with artists including Janine Jansen, Bruno Delepelaire, and the Doric String Quartet. Competition success includes winning the 2018 Lorna Viol Memorial Prize and ROSL Trophy for the most Outstanding Musician from Overseas at the ROSL Annual Music Competition, and in 2017 the First Prize and the Bach Prize at the Gisborne International Music Competition. Before joining the NZSO, Alex had performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Ken Ichinose – Cello
London born cellist Ken Ichinose was appointed Associate Principal Cello of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in 2014 whilst also pursuing a busy chamber music career within New Zealand. He is the cellist in the Ghost Piano Trio and has performed with Kiwa Quartet, New Zealand String Quartet, Amici Ensemble, and the contemporary music group Stroma. In addition to this locally based work, Ken helped establish the Glenn Douglas Winter Chamber Music Festival in Florida, and also returns to London regularly to perform.

Prior to his move to New Zealand, Ken was a founding member of the Galitzin Quartet, formed at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he studied with Paul Watkins. The Quartet actively performed for ten years, completing major tours in the UK, Germany, France, Portugal and Holland. They were first prize winners of the 2007 Charles Hennen Competition in the Netherlands and received tuition and guidance from the Vermeer, Jerusalem, and Ysaÿe Quartets. Also during this time, Ken worked and toured extensively with the Philharmonia, Orchestra of The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and the Academy of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields among others.