The New Zealand String Quartet, established in 1987, is a chamber music ensemble based in New Zealand. The quartet began its journey with founding members Wilma Smith and Josephine Costantino, who were joined by Douglas Beilman and Rolf Gjelsten. In 1991, the group became the quartet-in-residence at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington. Their discography includes a three-CD series of Mendelssohn's string quartets for Naxos Records. The quartet has performed extensively, with over eighty concerts annually in New Zealand and internationally at festivals such as the Festival of the Sound, Parry Sound, Ontario, and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville, Queensland, and Quartetfest. Their recordings have been featured on various international radio stations, including CBC in Canada and ABC in Australia.
