New Zealand String Quartet

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 Co-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.

Helene plays a Pietro Guarnerius violin made in Venice in 1730.

Monique Lapins began her violin studies at the age of six with the Suzuki method and continued 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, 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 Australian Chamber Orchestra Collective, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Singapore Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with artists including conductor Seiji Ozawa in Japan, conductor Philippe Herreweghe in France, Jerusalem String Quartet and pianist Dénes Várjon (Adam Chamber Music Festival), 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.

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.

In 1992, Gillian founded the Adam Chamber Music Festival with a group of friends, performing five concerts in five days. In 2001 she became Cp-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 began cello studies at the age of 15 in his native city Victoria, Canada, with James Hunter and Janos Starker. 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 eminent artists including 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.