Chichester: “Rehearse, travel, concert, rinse and repeat!” for The Heath Quartet

The quartet are Sara Wolstenholme violin; Marije Johnston violin; Gary Pomeroy viola; and Christopher Murray cello. They formed in 2002 at the Royal Northern College of Music.

As Sara says: “We were all lucky enough to study at the Royal Northern College of Music during the time Christopher Rowland was head of chamber music. He was a brilliant teacher and a wonderfully wacky personality who really got the best out of his students.

“There were certainly no long-term plans and our younger selves would be amazed to see the group still playing almost two decades later. The quartet just gathered momentum until it became a full-time job.

“Our lives have changed quite a lot and we all have more responsibilities than in those heady early days, but essentially quartet-life hasn't changed much: rehearse, travel, concert, rinse and repeat!

“The music world in general is a tough one and you need to be resilient. We have taken opportunities, worked hard and been fortunate. We are not a competitive group and have found that each group finds their place within the chamber music world. It is a cosy scene and full of genuinely lovely people.

“It is a unique and special working relationship being in a string quartet and it is a privilege to work, travel and perform so closely with just three other people. We enjoy each other’s company, and humour plays a vital role in our working and social lives together. We play a mixture of the core string quartet repertoire alongside new commissions. We will play a new work by Nathan Williamson at the Aldeburgh Festival in June 2023 and are currently working with Mark Anthony Turnage on a new commission. There is such a wealth of incredible music for the genre that we are spoilt for choice.

“The classical music world is constantly evolving and it's interesting how pieces that nobody was playing a decade ago can become a central part of the concert rep, perhaps capturing a particular mood of the moment. The Fanny Mendelssohn that we're performing in Chichester was rarely played even five years ago. Now groups are playing it more and more.”

Also coming up: December 1, Zoltán Fejérvári piano. The Hungarian pianist has made a steady rise to international prominence. He was recipient of a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship in 2016 and has appeared in recitals throughout the Americas and Europe.

Tickets £20 (free for under 25s) from Chichester Festival Theatre online at www.cft.org.uk or call 01243 781312 and at the door on the night.