Joanna Lewis violin Anne Harvey-Nagl violin Petra Ackermann viola Melissa Coleman cello
The Koehne Quartet founded in 1987 by Joanna Lewis, counts as one of today’s outstanding interpreters of contemporary music in continental Europe. The quartet’s list of repertoire is now expansive, ranging from classical quartet repertoire through to the 21st century. Since its formation the quartet has encouraged and enjoyed building up an intense working relationship with the composers whose compositions they perform, aiming for authentic and original interpretations.
What began with the string quartets of Graeme Koehne – one of Australia’s most renowned, diverse and versatile composers – consequently lead to Austrian Contemporaries such as Friedrich Cerha, Kurt Schwertsik, Francis Burt, Thomas Pernes , Gerd Kühr, Thomas Larcher and Wolfgang Liebhart. The quartet’s method of working, breaking new ground together with the composers, was also strongly influenced by attending master classes with Günter Pichler (Alban Berg Quartet), the Amadeus and the Brodsky Quartet, with Hatto Beyerle and Gyorgy Kurtag.
The Koehne Quartet also works regularly with international jazz musicians such as Dave Liebman, Wayne Horvitz and Peter Herbert. Since its formation the quartet performs regularly in cultural centres and travels to international festivals in Europe, Australia and South Africa.
Born 1963 in Adelaide, Australia.
Studied violin, cello and composition in Adelaide and violin with Spiros Rantos in Queensland.
1985 received the Carl Ludwig Pinschof Scholarship for study in Vienna, where she studied at the Hochschule for Music and the Performing Arts with Wolfgang Schneiderhan, Gerhard Hetzel and Günter Pichler, receiving a diploma with excellence.
Numerous performances as a soloist and together with Lisa Moore, Dave Liebman, Wayne Horvitz, Peter Herbert, Koehne Quartet, Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, Ensemble of the 20th Century, Music On Line, Vienna Art Orchestra, Austrian-Hungarian Haydn Philharmonie, Vienna Concert-Verein, Vienna Symphony, Otto Lechner Quartet, Max Nagl Quintet and Ramasuri (Max Nagl Double-Quintet), Velvet Lounge (Hannes Loeschel Octet), and Giorgio Occhipinti Nonet.
Anne Harvey-Nagl, violin
Born 1969 in Melbourne, Australia.
Studied violin with Brian Blake and Spiros Rantos in Australia and Günter Pichler in Vienna. 1986 winner of the "National Youth Concerto Competition". 1990 received the ANZ
International Fellowship for musical studies overseas.
Performed with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, the Vienna Mozart Orchestra, Vienna Concert-Verein, Klangforum, Music On Line, and the Kammerphilharmonie. Since 1999 principal first violin at the Vienna Volksoper.
Numerous performances as a soloist. 1994 soloist with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra in their series "Presenting Young Artists". Since 1995 regular performances as a soloist with the Vienna Mozart Orchestra.
Petra Ackermann, viola
Born 1974 in Klagenfurt, Austria.
Studied with Siegfried Führlinger in Vienna, John White and Jan Schlapp (baroque viola) in London, as well as in Paris with Garth Knox, who encouraged her to specialise in
contemporary, experimental and improvised music.
Worked intensively with artists from dance, drama, multimedia, jazz, and electronics. Performed and commissioned numerous premieres.
Member of Ensemble Music On Line and Ensemble of the 20th Century, as well as performing regularly with Compagnie Voque Paris, Artresonanz, die Reihe,
Ensemble Wiener Collage, Klangforum Wien and Ensemble 2e2m Paris. Member of the Koehne Quartet since 2001.
Melissa Coleman, cello
Born 1968 in Melbourne, Australia. Studied cello with Henry Wenig at the Victorian College of the Arts Melbourne. Graduated with distinction obtaining the Diploma of Arts in Music. Private lessons and masterclasses in London, Germany, Italy and Austria with Milos Mlejnik, Mischa Maisky, Mark Dobrinsky and William Pleeth.
1987 winner of the Herbert N. Davis Chamber Music Award and 1988 first prize of the Hepzibah Menuhin Memorial Award for String soloists, both awarded by Lord Sir Yehudi
Menuhin. 1989 awarded the Peers Cotemore Scholarship for Overseas Studies (V.C.A), 1992 first prize at the International Cello Competition Liezen, Austria.
Member of Ensemble of the 20th Century, Music on Line and Ritter-Lechner-Coleman Trio. Concerts, CD recordings and projects involving composition, improvisation and jazz with Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Kontrapunkt, Totales Theater, Nomad Theater, Volkstheater, Vereinigte Bühnen, Burgtheater, Liz King Dance Theater, Christine Gaigg Dance Theater, Sebastian Prantl Dance Atelier.
I first heard the Koehne Quartet in 1999, when I attended a rehearsal in Vienna of my String Quartet No. 11. From the very beginning, I was excited by the energy and ethusiasm with which the players endowed the work. I then discovered that they had a profound understanding of the music , of its style and its origins in the Australian landscape. Such an experience is as rare as it is exhilarating. I applaud, embrace and thank the Koehne Quartet.
Peter Sculthorpe, Composer
Others about the Koehne Quartet
Over the years the members of the Koehne Quartet have consistently impressed me with their commitment, energy and professionalism. At an especially personal level I have had the opportunity to hear this group perform my own string quartet many times over the years and I believe this groups´s performance to be the most sensitively wrought and musical I have heard. To their handling of new music, as well as traditional repertoire, the Koehne Quartet bring musical intelligence, artistic maturity and technical facility.
Graeme Koehne, Composer
Even in the most difficult, complex and demanding quartet repertoire, the Koehne Quartet reaches an outstanding level both technically and in the sense of understanding and analysing the musical content.
Günter Pichler, Alban Berg Quartet
The technical ability of the Koehne Quartet is of the highest order and, whether playing Haydn or Sculthorpe, their musicality is unbounded.
I was most impressed with the high standard of their playing and their musical thinking.
Norbert Brainin, Amadeus-Quartet
Koehne Quartetis a trademark, that contemporary quartet music gourmets, in the meantime, have learned to know and love. But careful!! This product is addictive!
The dangerous ingredients are: commitment, enthusiasm, perfection, musicality, love, eroticism.
Wolfgang Liebhart, Composer
Apart from impeccable sound quality and flawless intonation, it is above all the personal creative input, that the ensemble, as a collective of four, strong musical personalities, allows to appear. The possibility of blending into complete unity and in the next instant to individually dissolve apart again, is a particular trademark of the musicians of the Koehne Quartet.
Herbert Lauermann, Composer
It seems to be the fate of so much contemporary music to be played once or perhaps twice, and then be put away forever. How different it is when an ensemble really takes a piece to heart and plays it again and again, continually widening and deepening their interpretation. As a composer, one is finally left wondering, as I was with their performances of my 2ndString Quartet, whether I had in fact put as much into the piece as the Koehne Quartet were getting out of it.
Francis Burt, Composer
Koehne Quartet, Joanna Lewis, Mayerhofgasse 4/8b, A-1040 Vienna, Austria [email protected] , www.koehnequartet.com
