QPAC

Renowned multi-instrumentalist, composer, and master yidaki (didgeridoo) artist, William Barton will join creative forces with Britain’s legendary Brodsky Quartet on the Concert Hall stage at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on 26 February 2026.  
 
Both veterans of the Concert Hall stage, QPAC will welcome the state’s first partnership between Barton and the Brodsky Quartet. Regarded as an innovative musical conversation that revolutionises the idea of what a yidaki and string quartet can become; this extraordinary musical pairing will capture the ancient living voice of the yidaki, together with the harmonies of European chamber music. 

The diverse program features Peter Sculthorpe’s String Quartet No.11, Jabiru Dreaming, a work inspired by the rock formations of Kakadu National Park, Robert Davidson’s Minjerribah, referencing Queensland’s North Stradbroke Island, and Leoš Janáček’s String Quartet No.2 “Intimate Letters” – an acknowledgement of Janáček’s passionate friendship with a married younger woman, written in the last year of his life.  

QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy warmly welcomed the partnership between the esteemed musicians. 

“Touring together for the first time in Australia, the pairing of William Barton and the Brodsky Quartet will be a much-anticipated addition to our 2026 program,” said Ms Healy. 

“Our audiences know the Brodsky Quartet for their 50-plus years of inventive and unconventional collaborations, and the unique theatricality they bring to their work. The real-life events behind the Janáček piece, for instance, inspired celebrated Irish playwright Brian Friel’s play Performances for which the Quartet acted and performed from memory. 

“William Barton’s mastery of the yidaki is an extension of our country’s rich First Nations culture and a vessel that transforms into a voice of ancient wisdom.  

“Together these artists will bring a dynamic and evocative program that will be an absolute treat for Brisbane audiences, regardless of if they have encountered chamber music before.” 

A proud Kalkadunga man from Mt Isa in North-West Queensland, Barton has long expanded the horizons of the didgeridoo/yidaki in the modern Australian music landscape. Learning the yidaki from his uncle at age seven, Barton then left school at age 12 to join a dance troupe in Sydney for the next six years, where he danced and played the yidaki. By fifteen he was touring the United States before he launched his career as a soloist. From classical to contemporary, Barton’s diverse career across the past three decades has seen him partner with leading orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, bringing a new musical language to the world stage. 

Formed in Middlesborough, England in 1972, the Brodsky Quartet’s five-decade legacy has seen the ensemble tour internationally and partner with some of the world’s leading artists such as Björk, Issey Miyake and Elvis Costello, making musical history with their ground-breaking collaborations. Performing over 3,500 concerts and releasing more than 70 recordings, the quartet has an unrivalled authority in the performance of string quartet repertoire, extended through educational work that passes on the artists’ expertise to the next generation. The complete Shostakovich Quartet Cycle is synonymous with their name, with their 2012 London performance earning them the prestigious title of ‘Artistic Associate’ at London’s Kings Place for a 10-year residency.  

Tickets are on sale now – find out more at qpac.com.au or via 136 246.