A farewell, and a welcome....

...…in moments of repose their tone is soft and mellow; in full flood it is mellow and rich; and when filled with ferocity it is rich and loud (and of course ferocious!)....
(Paul Serotsky, Seen and Heard International)

Recently the Aroha String Quartet marked the end of an era with the departure of Beiyi Xue, who has been the quartet's second violin since its inception in 2004. The rest of the quartet thank her for her amazing contribution in both a musical and a personal sense and wish her all the very best for her future chamber music-making activities.

We are however, very pleased to announce that Blythe Press has agreed to take over the second violin position. Blythe studied with renowned teacher Prof. Yair Kless for five years at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz, Austria, where he gained his Masters degree with distinction in June, 2011. He is an experienced chamber musician, having toured New Zealand as violinist of the Cook Strait Trio in 2009 and 2010, and it is in playing chamber music that his greatest passion resides. Welcome Blythe!