Arts
The Odeion String Quartet is ready for spring with 'Primavera' in Bloemfontein─── 09:00 Tue, 05 Aug 2025

The Odeion String Quartet invites music lovers to an evening of stirring emotion and vibrant musical storytelling at their upcoming concert, Primavera, on 21 August at 19:00 at the Odeion, at the University of the Free State.
Violinist Samantha Durrant joins Yolanda Maartens in the OFM Art Beat to talk about the program as well as the Quartet of Peace instruments and their school outreaches.
This exceptional performance features the performance of The Tides of…, a powerful and poetic new work by South African composer Arthur Feder. Commissioned especially for the Odeion String Quartet, the piece is deeply connected to the ensemble’s identity as the custodians of the unique Quartet of Peace instruments — four exquisite stringed instruments named Freedom, Peace, Hope, and Reconciliation in honour of South Africa’s four Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.
Structured in four movements, this piece explores their emotional and symbolic resonance through music. As the composition flows from one movement to the next, it mirrors the shifting currents of South Africa’s past and present — echoing a journey of struggle, triumph, and vision for a more just world. The performance promises a profoundly moving tribute not only to the instruments and their namesakes, but to the enduring power of music to reflect and shape our collective story.
The evening will conclude with Johannes Brahms’ String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major, Op. 67 is a luminous and joyful masterpiece showcasing the composer’s brilliance in blending classical structure with lyrical beauty.
True to its name, Primavera, meaning spring in Italian symbolises renewal, creativity, and a fresh musical season. This concert promises an unforgettable journey that bridges the new and the timeless, the local and the universal.
Tickets are priced at:
R120 for adults
R80 for students over 18
R50 for learners under 18
For more information , contact 051 401 2342 or email OSQ@ufs.ac.za.
Tickets are available from Quicket.