Odeion String Quartet in Concert

Odeion String Quartet to premiere award-winning South African composition

The Odeion String Quartet (OSQ) will present its final evening concert of 2026 on Thursday, 22 October, at 19:00 in the Odeion Auditorium, Bloemfontein.

The programme combines celebrated works by Beethoven and Shostakovich with two compositions recognised in the 7th Stefans Grové IIA National Composition Competition, one of South Africa’s foremost platforms dedicated to the creation and promotion of new art music.

The concert opens with Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet in G major, Op. 18 No. 2, a graceful and energetic early work that displays the composer’s wit, elegance and growing individuality.

A highlight of the evening will be the world premiere of The Exhibition by Chesney Palmer, winner of the competition’s First Prize. Written for string quartet and inspired by the abstract artwork of Cathy Collins, the composition was conceived from a chromesthetic perspective. Its musical material is drawn from the colours, textures and visual gestures of the artwork, with each movement translating different brushstrokes and painting techniques into an immersive sonic experience.

The programme will also include a new string quartet by Nicholas Smit, who was named the runner-up in the competition. The title of the work will be announced in due course.

Founded by Prof Alexander Johnson in honour of his composition mentor, Prof Stefans Grové, the competition is presented by the International Institute of the Arts (IIA), resident at the University of the Free State.

The evening concludes with Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 7 in F-sharp minor, Op. 108. Written in memory of the composer’s first wife, Nina, it is his shortest string quartet, yet one of his most concentrated and emotionally powerful works.

The Odeion String Quartet comprises Samantha Durrant (first violin), Sharon de Kock (second violin), Jeanne-Louise Moolman (viola) and Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello).

To encourage young audiences to experience live chamber music, school-going children wearing their school uniform may attend free of charge.

Concert information

Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026

Time: 19:00

Venue: Odeion Auditorium, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein

Ticket prices:

• Adults: R120
• Pensioners: R60
• Students and learners: R30
• School-going children wearing school uniform: Free

Tickets are available through Quicket.

This concert offers audiences an opportunity to hear established masterpieces alongside exciting new South African music, performed by one of the country’s leading string quartets.