Artists in Residence

The New Zealand String Quartet

With its dynamic performing style, dramatic energy and eloquent communication the New Zealand String Quartet has forged a major career in the busy international chamber music field, earning the acclaim of critics and the delighted response of audiences. The Quartet has particularly distinguished itself through imaginative programming, insightful interpretations of the string quartet repertoire including cycles of composers’ music from Mozart to Berg, and the development of an international audience for important new works from New Zealand composers.

Recent career highlights have included acclaimed debuts in London at Wigmore Hall and in New York at the prestigious Frick Collection. International tours and festival successes have taken the group to Canada and the US for twice-yearly visits as well as to Mexico, Korea, Australia, Scotland, Germany and the Netherlands, and recent performances in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Dedicated teachers as well as performers, the group has been Quartet-in-Residence at Victoria University of Wellington, now the New Zealand School of Music, since 1991.  The New Zealand String Quartet members teach individual lessons, conduct string classes, and coach chamber music ensembles.    The Quartet rehearses and teaches in the Turnovsky Room, a beautiful space generously endowed by the Turnovsky Trust. 

Visit the NZSQ’s website for more information, including concert dates and recordings:
www.nzsq.co.nz

Pohl, Helene – Violin
BMus PerfCert Eastman, MMus Indiana

Born in Ithaca, New York to German parents, Helene Pohl spent her childhood on both sides of the Atlantic.  She began violin at age 4 with the Suzuki method.   A musical omnivore,  she began piano study at 9 and as a teenager added viola, clarinet and baritone saxophone (the latter in order to join the jazz band).   At 17 she began tertiary study at the Musikhochschule Cologne, where her teacher was Franzjosef Maier, founder of the Collegium Aureum, and her chamber music coaches were the members of the Amadeus Quartet.  She continued her studies at the Eastman School of Music where she received a Bachelor's Degree and the coveted Performer's Certificate.  Her violin and chamber music teachers were the members of the Cleveland Quartet; she also studied voice with Renee Fleming.  She received her Master's Degree at Indiana University where she studied violin with Josef Gingold (student of Eugene Ysaye), viola with Kim Kashkashian, and chamber music with Fritz Magg, Abraham Skernick and Gyorgy Sebok.

With groups formed during her studies she spent many summers at the Center for Advanced Quartet Studies at the Aspen Music Festival where she received coaching from members of the Cleveland, Emerson, Juilliard and Tokyo Quartets.  Other violin teachers whose lessons she found inspirational along the way were James Buswell, Robert Mann and Joyce Robbins.  She herself began her teaching career in Boston, MA at the New England Conservatory Preperatory Division and at Walnut Hill School, a boarding school specialising in the performing arts.

As first violinist of the San Francisco based Fidelio String Quartet (1988-1993), Helene Pohl performed in the USA, Germany, England, Italy and South America. The Fidelio Quartet was prizewinner in the 1991 London International String Quartet Competition and quartet in residence at both the Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals.  She also taught at the San Francisco Extension Division where she prepared students for tertiary auditions as well as working with adult violinists at all levels.

Helene Pohl 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 New Zealand Festival of Chamber Music.

At the New Zealand School of Music Helene teaches violin and chamber music and aims to share with her students the best of what she has received from her mentors as well as what she has learned from over 2 decades of teaching.   She believes that teaching must develop an awareness of all aspects of playing, including the physical use of the whole body in playing, the ability to problem-solve the whole range of technical issues, using the personal feedback loop of constant performing, seeking the emotional and spiritual expression of music, and applying a deep knowledge of the score to interpretation.  

phone: +64 4 463 5866
room: 212, Kelburn Campus
email: helene.pohl@nzsm.ac.nz

Beilman, Douglas – Violin
BMus NECons, MMus SanFranCons

A native of Kansas, USA, Douglas Beilman studied with Dorothy Delay and Hyo Kang at the Julliard School and the New England Conservatory of Music. He then completed his Master of Music degree with Isadore Tinkleman at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Before joining the New Zealand String Quartet in 1989 he was first violinist of the Sierra String Quartet, the first resident quartet at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Chamber Music Centre. The Sierra Quartet was a prizewinner at the 1988 Portsmouth International String Quartet Competition (now the London International String Quartet Competition) and performed widely throughout the USA.

Douglas Beilman was a co-founder of the Adam New Zealand Festival of Chamber Music and was its artistic Director until 2001. He has been soloist and guest leader of the New Zealand Chamber Orchestra and has performed concertos with other New Zealand orchestras. As both a founding member of the 20th century ensemble CadeNZa and as an individual he has participated extensively in premiere performances of New Zealand and international compositions.

phone: +64 4 463 5866
room: 212, Kelburn Campus
email: douglas.beilman@nzsm.ac.nz

Ansell, Gillian – Viola
LRSM ARCM

Gillian Ansell was born in Auckland, New Zealand and began violin and piano lessons at an early age. At 16 years she made her concerto debut with the Auckland Symphonia (now the Auckland Philharmonia).

An Associated Board Scholarship to study violin, viola and piano took Gillian Ansell to the Royal College of Music in London where she won several prizes. She then took up 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 for three years she returned to New Zealand to become a founding member of the New Zealand String Quartet. She was second violinist for two years before taking up the position of violist of the group. In 2001 she became Artistic Director, with fellow quartet member Helene Pohl, of the Adam New Zealand Festival of Chamber Music.

phone: +64 4 463 5866
room: 212, Kelburn Campus
email:gillian.ansell@nzsm.ac.nz

Gjelsten, Rolf – Cello
MMus Cin, PerfCert Northern Ill, DMA Rutgers, BMus University of Victoria

Rolf Gjelsten began cello in his native city Victoria, Canada, with James Hunter and Janos Starker at the age of 15. At 21 he became the youngest member of the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. He 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 Laurtentian Quartet for almost a decade he toured internationally, made five CDs and taught cello at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. He was also a member of the New York Piano Trio. He furthered his studies in 1990 with the great Casals protégé Bernhard Greenhouse at Rutgers University from where he received his doctoral degree in cello.

Rolf Gjelsten joined the New Zealand String Quartet in May 1994 and became a New Zealand citizen in 1997.

phone: +64 4 463 5866
room: 212, Kelburn Campus
email: rolf.gjelsten@nzsm.ac.nz

Links

• New Zealand String Quartet website
  
• New Zealand String Quartet at SOUNZ, Centre for New Zealand Music
• New Zealand String Quartet at Rattle Music
• New Zealand String Quartet at Atoll Records

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