New Zealand String Quartet

Peter Clark was honoured to join the NZSQ in 2024. Prior to his appointment, Peter divided his time between New York City and Australia, combining his passions for chamber music, directing orchestras, and advocating for the central role of music in society.

Positions previously held include principal violin of Omega Ensemble, first violinist of Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Inspire Quartet, and core member of Melbourne’s Inventi Ensemble. As concertmaster, Peter has performed with New Zealand Opera, Sydney Chamber Opera, Victoria Opera, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Darwin Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra Wellington. He has also appeared as Associate Concertmaster of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Principal Second of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Dublin, and has toured with the Australian World Orchestra, and Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Peter is passionate about the intersection of the highest artistry with music’s potential as a force for good. His commitment to arts access has led him to perform in more than 130 regional towns and cities across Australia, as well as to develop a beloved music programme at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital. His research on social innovation and cohesion through music is generously supported by Judith Neilson AM, the General Sir John Monash Foundation, and the American Australian Association.

One of Aotearoa’s most versatile violinists, Arna Morton is a passionate performer, educator and composer, equally comfortable as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader, improviser and commercial event entertainer.

After completing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the New Zealand School of Music, Arna earned her PhD in Violin Performance at the University of Melbourne, where her research explored a personal, authentic and collaborative approach to interpretation, focusing on Britten’s Violin Concerto, which she performed with the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra after winning the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music’s Concerto Competition. Arna was a prize-winner at the 2016 Gisborne International Music Competition and joint winner of the 2014 NZ National Concerto Competition, leading to performances of Szymanowski’s First Violin Concerto and Ravel’s Tzigane with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, where she has been Principal Second Violin since 2021.

Chamber music holds a special place in Arna’s career, appearing at the 2016 Mimir Chamber Music Festival with Melbourne’s Curve Quartet, and in the 2017 Adam Troubadour Quartet. She is a core member of CSO’s Arvida Quartet, regularly performing around Ōtautahi, and a co-founder of the Morton Trio with her husband, horn player Alex Morton, and pianist Liam Wooding. In 2019, the trio toured the UK with Pettman/ROSL Arts, later performing across Aotearoa with Chamber Music New Zealand, and releasing their debut album (2024, Atoll Records) featuring Arna’s composition ‘Summer’ alongside Brahms’ Horn Trio Op. 40 and her arrangement of his Piano Trio Op. 8 for horn trio.Arna has appeared as a guest artist with the New Zealand String Quartet and performs on a 1900 Joseph Hel violin, generously on loan from the CSO Foundation. Though deeply rooted in classical music, she thrives equally in commercial settings, regularly switching to her electric Spur violin for weddings, corporate events and cabaret shows.

Born in Auckland, Gillian Ansell made her concerto debut as a violinist with the Auckland Philharmonia at the age of 16. At 19, an Associated Board Scholarship took her to the Royal College of Music in London for three years to study violin, viola and piano. She then won a German Academic Exchange (DAAD) scholarship for further study in Germany at the Musikhochschule Cologne with Igor Ozim and the Amadeus Quartet.

After working professionally in London, she returned to New Zealand to become a founding member of the New Zealand String Quartet in 1987. She was second violinist for two years before taking up the position of violist of the group. In 1992, Gillian founded the Adam Chamber Music Festival with a group of friends, performing five concerts in five days. Gillian has been the Artistic Director of the Festival since 2001.

In 2008 she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her outstanding services to music in New Zealand. In 2019 she served on the jury of the Banff International String Quartet Competition.

Gillian plays on a 1619 Nicolò Amati viola, generously loaned by the Adam Foundation. Gillian has performed at all 17 Adam Chamber Music Festivals.

Born in Sydney Australia, Martin Smith studied at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole with Natalia Gutman and the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler with Eberhard Feltz. Martin has appeared as soloist throughout Europe, including recent performances with the Berlin Kammersolisten, Leipzig Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre de Lyon, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, RTÉ Symphony Orchestra, and RTS Symphony Orchestra Belgrade. 

Martin has collaborated with musicians including Kolja Blacher, Leon Fleisher, Midori Goto, Leonadis Kavakos, Yo-Yo Ma, Menahem Pressler, Heinrich Schiff and Tabea Zimmerman, and continues to work closely with leading composers including John Adams, Thomas Adès, Mats Larsson Gothe, György Kurtág and Salvatore Sciarrino.

As guest principal cellist, Martin has performed and toured with the Bavarian State Opera, BBC Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Philharmonia Orchestra London, Royal Opera Stockholm, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, and Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich.

Martin has appeared at leading festivals including IMS Prussia Cove, Musica Strasbourg, Pablo Casals Prades, Piatigorsky and Ravinia. He has been honoured with numerous awards including the Australian Music Foundation, the DAAD Künstlerpreis, ECHO Klassik, and the KPO Young Performer of the Year award. Martin has been a member of the Zafraan Ensemble in Berlin since 2012.