THIS was a concert of the highest quality, certainly of world standard and most worthy of billing in an International Music Festival.

The Van Kuijk Quartet was formed in 2012, has since performed worldwide and are winners of such prestigious awards as the 2015 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition and the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition. Hearing them play here in our city, it is little wonder they have achieved such acclaim.

This was their first appearance in Australia and they marked the occasion with a simply beautiful performance of Mozart’s String Quartet No 19 in C Major, “Dissonance”. Rhythmic control was sublime, instrumental interplay seamless, inter-player understanding impeccable – a precise performance with vitality, passion and an obvious love of this music.

Some moments were just eerie – a pianissimo so soft it was barely audible then a crescendo that didn’t simply rise in volume but which grew in unison through graduated steps to reach a most powerful peak.

All the while, the eyes of the players flicked between each other, the understanding similar to that between a world-standard doubles tennis duo or the NZ rugby team at its peak.

Excellent performance standards were maintained after interval with a fine performance of the Clarinet Quintet in A, written just a few years later than the Quartet. Israel-based virtuoso Orit Orbach teamed up with the quartet in an almost flawless display. Her definition, clarity of tone and sonority (most evident in the lower range) were exceptional and I just don’t know how she managed to breathe. The balance between strings and clarinet was excellent and solo interplay between 1st violin and clarinet could only be described as delightful.

The final movement really demonstrated Mozart’s clever writing with broad clarinet triplets played across strict string common-time rhythm producing a soaring ending that had an enthusiastic audience rise from their chairs as one.

This was good stuff! I couldn’t help wondering how great it would have been had every clever clarinet student in Canberra been present to hear, see and digest this world-class performance.