ABOUT

Colin Ainsworth

Colin Ainsworth has been praised for his exquisite control and emotional directness and has long distinguished himself not only with his interpretations of the major Classical and Baroque tenor roles but also with his performances in contemporary opera. He has appeared with various opera companies including the Canadian Opera Company, Seattle Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Glimmerglass Opera, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, the Greek National Opera, and the Royal Opera (London) performing as Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Tom in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, Tamino in The Magic Flute, and Steuerman in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer. On the concert stage, he has appeared with the Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Music of the Baroque, and at Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra and has worked with conductors Leonard Slatkin, John Nelson, Nicolas McGegan, Leon Botstein, and Dame Jane Glover.

Helene Pohl (violin I), Monique Lapins (violin II), Gillian Ansell (viola), Rolf Gjelsten (cello)

Founded in 1987, the New Zealand String Quartet – Te Rōpu Tūrū O Aotearoa - exists to provide transformational chamber music experiences for all New Zealanders. Over the past 36 years the Quartet has established an international reputation for its insightful interpretations, compelling communication, and dynamic performing style.  

 The NZSQ provides dynamic and high-quality musical experiences for all New Zealanders embracing the fresh and familiar. The Quartet’s rich repertoire includes a wide variety of New Zealand music, composers’ cycles from Beethoven to Bartok, Mozart to Berg, and theatrical presentations encompassing spoken word and dance, from Haydn’s Seven Last Words to Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night. The NZSQ proudly champions New Zealand and Māori music and artists as cultural ambassadors at home and abroad. Since its inception, the Quartet has premiered over 150 New Zealand works, and now works closely with its Mātanga Ngā Toi Māori, taonga pūoro player Horomona Horo. 

The NZSQ takes a leadership and advocacy role in advancing music education. Devoted teachers and mentors, all members of the Quartet teach at the New Zealand School of Music – Te Kōkī where the NZSQ has been Quartet-in-Residence since 1991, as well as running the Adam Chamber Music School in Nelson.  The NZSQ runs the NZSM Chamber Music Intensive Weekend in Wellington for up-and-coming chamber musicians, and regularly mentors students from Sistema programmes across the country. 

In 2023, Helene, Monique, Gillian, and Rolf surpassed 100 years of collective service to music in New Zealand. The three longest serving members of the Quartet have each been awarded the MNZM honour for services to music in New Zealand.

HELENE POHL, First Violin

Born in Ithaca, New York to German parents, Helene Pohl spent her childhood on both sides of the Atlantic. At 17 she began tertiary study at the Musikhochschule Cologne. She continued her studies with members of the Cleveland Quartet at the Eastman School of Music and at Indiana University with Josef Gingold. As first violinist of the San Francisco based Fidelio String Quartet (1988-1993), Helene performed extensively in the USA, Germany, England, Italy and South America. The Fidelio Quartet was prize-winner in the 1991 London International String Quartet Competition and Quartet-in-Residence at both the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals. Helene joined the New Zealand String Quartet as first violinist in February 1994. In 2001 she became Artistic Director, with fellow quartet member Gillian Ansell, of the Adam Chamber Music Festival. In 2014 she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her outstanding services to music in New Zealand. In her spare time she enjoys cooking and baking, getting out into nature and playing concertos with orchestras around New Zealand, including the Nelson Symphony Orchestra. Helene plays a Pietro Guarnerius violin made in Venice in 1730.

MONIQUE LAPINS, Second Violin

Monique Lapins began her violin studies at the age of six with the Suzuki method and continued her studies at the Australian National Academy of Music under William Hennessy, and at Singapore’s Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music under Professor Qian Zhou.

She was a finalist twice in the Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition and has performed in festivals throughout France, the Czech Republic, Holland, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and at the Open Chamber Music Seminars in Prussia Cove directed by world-renowned cellist, Steven Isserlis. Monique has toured extensively in collaboration with the Australian Chamber Orchestra Collective, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with artists including Seiji Ozawa (conductor) in Japan, Philippe Herreweghe (conductor) in France, Jerusalem String Quartet in New Zealand (Adam Chamber Music Festival - ACMF), Dénes Várjon (pianist) in New Zealand (ACMF) and as a soloist with French violinist, Oliver Charlier in Japan. Monique joined the NZSQ in May 2016. Monique plays a 1784 Lorenzo Storioni violin, kindly loaned by Mr David Duncan Craig, as trustee of the Lily Duncan Trust.

GILLIAN ANSELL, Viola

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. In 2001 she became Artistic Director, with fellow quartet member Helene Pohl. In 2008 she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for her outstanding services to music in New Zealand. She served on the jury of the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2019. Gillian plays on a 1619 Nicolò Amati viola, generously loaned by the Adam Foundation.

ROLF GJELSTEN, Cello

Rolf Gjelsten began cello studies in his native city Victoria, Canada, with James Hunter and Janos Starker at the age of 15. At 22 he became the youngest member of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. Rolf returned to North America to study with Zara Nelsova which led to further study with the members of the La Salle, Hungarian, Vermeer, Cleveland and Emerson string quartets. As a member of the Laurentian Quartet for almost a decade he toured internationally, made five CDs and taught cello at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. During this time he was also a member of the New York Piano Trio. Rolf furthered his studies from 1990 with the great Pablo Casals protégé and Beaux Arts Trio cellist Bernhard Greenhouse at Rutgers University, where he received his doctoral degree in cello. He has performed with such eminent artists as Menahem Pressler, Anton Kuerti, Piers Lane, Tasmin Little, Nobuko Imai and Gervaise de Peyer. Rolf joined the New Zealand String Quartet in May 1994 and in 2014 he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for his outstanding services to music in New Zealand. Rolf plays a Francesco Gofriller cello made in Venice in 1705.

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