Quebec string quartet Quatuor Bozzini plays James Weeks' cycle of six pieces, 'weatherworld quartets', followed by a Q&A at The Lemon Tree.
Quatuor Bozzini play The Lemon Tree on Friday 30 October, as part of the 2026 soundfestival. The Quebecois string quartet are performing weatherworld quartets, a cycle of six pieces by composer James Weeks. Each one runs around ten minutes, so the whole set sits at just over an hour.
The cycle is built around our sensory and bodily experience of the outdoors. Rain and wind pervade the sound, played with sustained, glanced, brushed and tapped gestures. In two of the quartets, the bow is replaced entirely by plant materials — fern fronds and cypress sprigs. It's the kind of music that asks you to listen to the texture of the sound as much as the notes themselves.
Quatuor Bozzini — Clemens Merkel and Alissa Cheung on violin, Stéphanie Bozzini on viola, and Isabelle Bozzini on cello — are back at the festival this year, where they're also leading a three-day composer Lab on writing for string quartet. The performance is given with the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
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The concert is part of the 2026 soundfestival, a new-music festival co-curated by composer and conductor Pete Stollery and run by festival director Fiona Robertson. It runs from 22 to 31 October across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, with events at The Lemon Tree, Cowdray Hall and King's Pavillion, as well as outdoor sound walks and a performance in a former nuclear bunker.
Doors open at 5pm, and the music starts at 6pm. It's 70 minutes with no interval, followed by a 30-minute Q&A. Tickets are £15.40 standard, £11 for over 60s, and £6.60 for registered disabled, registered unemployed and students, with under 18s free. There's also a Pay What You Can option available at £0, £3.30, £5.50, £11 or £22.
