Attacca Quartet

The Attacca Quartet, a two-time GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble renowned for fearless programming, makes their UKARIA debut on Sunday 2 August 2026. Known for deftly blending old and new compositional voices, the quartet has built a reputation across the US and Europe for distinctive interpretations and adventurous concert design.

The first half of the recital functions as a spirited musical conversation, pairing works by young American composers Caroline Shaw and Paul Wiancko with Maurice Ravel's String Quartet and an arrangement of Radiohead's "2+2=5" created by the quartet's violist Nathan Schram. Shaw's pieces—Entr'acte, Three Essays, and The Evergreen—frame encounters with Wiancko's Benkei's Standing Death and the modernist intensity of Ravel's F major quartet.

The second half shifts focus to Beethoven's String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132, a monumental late work composed in the final years of the composer's life. The quartet's centrepiece is the Heiliger Dankgesang ("hymn of thanksgiving"), a profound expression of gratitude for recovery from serious illness. This recital offers a chance to hear a trailblazing ensemble present their interpretation of one of the chamber music repertoire's most revered works.

Tickets are priced at $80 for adults, $75 concession, and $40 for under-40s. Complimentary afternoon tea is served during the 25-minute interval. Pre-concert light lunch is available for $17. Bus transfers and pre-concert dining can be booked separately.