Concert 1
3:00pm
19 October 2025
Asaka String Quartet

Iona McDonald (violin) Eriol Guo Yu (violin) Wenhan Jiang (viola) Jonathan Ho Man Fong (cello)
Hailing from China, Hong Kong and Scotland, Asaka is a prizewinning ensemble formed in 2021 at the Royal Academy of Music in London. They were 2023 Tunnell Trust prize-winners and embarked on a tour of Scotland earlier this year. They are currently Quartet-in-Residence at Oxford’s Wolfson College and were Britten-Pears Young Artists for 2024–25. The quartet has made several festival appearances, and has performed at prestigious venues across the UK.
As close friends, growing up on opposite sides of the world in contrasting cultures, they have a keen interest in learning and experiencing new things, which lead them to enjoy discovering and sharing under-represented music. Through creative and innovative programmes, they invite audiences to discover new repertoire from a fresh perspective.
Tonight’s programme
‘Tjønneblomen’ Danish String Quartet
String Quartet No.17 in B-flat major ‘The Hunt’ (K. 458) W A Mozart
Allegro vivace assai
Menuetto and Trio. Moderato
Adagio
Allegro assai
from ‘Cypresses’ (B. 152) Antonin Dvorak
I – Moderato – I Know that My Love to Thee
II – Allegro ma non troppo – Death Reigns in Many a Human Breast
IX – Moderato – Thou only, Dear one
XI – Allegro scherzando – Nature Lies Peaceful in Slumber and Dreaming
I N T E R V A L
from Chinese Folk Songs and Tone Poems Zhou Long
No.1 – Lan Hua
No.2 – Driving the Mule Team
No.4 – Jasmine Flower
No.5 – A Horseherd’s Mountain Song
No.7 – A Single Bamboo Can Easily Bend
String Quartet in G minor, Op.10 Claude Debussy
Animé et très décidé
Assez vif et bien rythmé
Andantino, doucement expressif
Très modéré – En animant peu à peu – Très mouvementé et avec passion