Melbourne’s own international prizewinners, the Affinity Quartet, returns from a period in Europe to perform Beethoven’s first foray into string quartets, the Opus 18, over two nights only at Gasworks Theatre. With these six compact and ground-breaking string quartets, a young Beethoven, still in his twenties, defies the logic of the Enlightenment to create a striking new direction for this intimate medium. Don’t miss these powerfully crafted, timeless programs performed by one of the most exciting chamber music groups in Australia. Program: Friday - Part 1 String Quartet no.3 in D major 25’ String Quartet no.5 in A major 28’ Interval - approx. 25 minutes String Quartet no.2 in G major 25’ Saturday - Part 2 String Quartet no.4 in C minor 23’ String Quartet no.1 in F major 30’ Interval String Quartet no.6 in B-flat major 27'