The Orava Quartet has been hailed by Limelight magazine as “the most exciting young quartet on the block” and predicted by The Australian to become “one of Australia’s proudest cultural exports.” Earning a reputation and devoted following for their thrilling performances, the Quartet – brothers Daniel and Karol Kowalik (violin and cello), violinist David Dalseno and violist Thomas Chawner – bring their unique sound and breathtaking intensity to the classics of the string quartet canon.
Selected by Deutsche Grammophon for its historic, first Australian recording release in 2018, received with widespread critical acclaim, Orava Quartet has performed in North America – including Canada in 2019 for the Festival International Hautes-Laurentides and Music and Beyond Festival (Ottawa) – and Asia, the UAE and New Zealand, working closely with the world-renowned Takács Quartet in the USA and winning top prizes at the 2013 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition.
Brisbane-based, Orava Quartet performs at venues and festivals around the country including Sydney Opera House’ Utzon Music Series, City Recital Hall Angel Place, Melbourne Recital Centre, Adelaide’s UKARIA, for VIVID Sydney with Sufjan Stevens, the New Zealand and BBC Proms festivals and Melbourne, Queensland, Canberra and Musica Viva Music Festivals. Praise for their live performances includes “gut-wrenching” (ArtsHub), “masterful” (Dominion Post) and “a beauty” (SMH). The Quartet proudly continue in their seventh year as Camerata’s 2021 Artist-in-Residence, performing at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Empire Theatres Toowoomba, Melbourne Recital Centre, for Musica Viva Tasmania, Brisbane Music Festival, Bangalow Music Festival, UKARIA (Adelaide), Riverside Theatres (Sydney) and tour with Karin Schaupp.