The Orava Quartet has been hailed by Limelight magazine as “the most exciting young quartet on the block” and predicted by The Australian to become “one of Australia’s proudest cultural exports.”

Earning a reputation and devoted following for its thrilling performances, the Quartet – brothers Daniel and Karol Kowalik (violin and cello), violinist David Dalseno and violist Thomas Chawner – brings its unique sound and breathtaking intensity to the classics and less-known jewels of the string quartet canon. Performing together since 2011, the Quartet also performs new works by contemporary Australian composers including Elena Kats-Chernin, Paul Dean, Ross Edwards and more.

Selected by Deutsche Grammophon for its historic, first Australian recording release in 2018, received with widespread critical acclaim, Orava Quartet has performed in North America, Asia, the UAE and New Zealand, working closely with the world-renowned Takács Quartet in the USA and winning top prizes at the 2013 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition.

In 2023, Orava Quartet toured to summer festivals in Canada ahead of the release of its second album for UMA/Deutsche Grammophon, ORAWA. The Quartet proudly continues in its ninth year as Camerata’s Artist-in-Residence, and as resident quartet for Bangalow Music Festival and, from 2024, Blackheath Chamber Music Festival. It returns to the Brisbane Festival, Tasmanian Chamber Music Festival and the Orange Chamber Music Festival and performs in Sydney and Melbourne Town Hall, the National Gallery of Australia and Brisbane’s Old Museum. It’s 2024/25 seasons include tours to Asia, Europe and the USA.

The Quartet returns to Hobart Town Hall with one of the all-time favourite works for string quartet, Borodin’s lush and romantic String Quartet No. 2. Written whilst on holiday and dedicated to his wife as an anniversary gift, Borodin’s musical love letter is full of wonderful melodies, including the instantly recognisable Nocturne. By contrast, Haydn, known as the ‘father’ of the string quartet, showcases simplicity at its finest in this work nicknamed ‘Quinten’ or ‘Fifths’, due to the falling-fifth motif weaved throughout the work. The Op. 76 no. 2 is Haydn in all his glory, a true master of the quartet genre. This is followed by the haunting and evocative work of iconic Australian composer, Peter Sculthorpe, who was arguably the first Western composer to evoke so effectively the sound of Australia in his music. Three distinct and captivating works in the hands of the ‘dazzling’ Orava Quartet: a most memorable musical experience.