Frida Kahlo Portraits

for string quartet

The Australian String Quartet: Sophie Rowell (violin), Anne Horton (violin), Sally Boud (viola) and Rachel Johnston (cello) premiered the Frida Kahlo Portraits at the 2010 National Composers Forum at Elder Hall in Adelaide. Click here for the ABC podcast.

The Frida Kahlo Portraits for string quartet, commemorates the life and creative oevre of MExian surrealist painter Frida Kahlo. The work is comprosed of five miniatures, each of which is a musical response to a specific self-portrait. Kahlo led an arduous life pervaded with copiopus adversities; her artwork reflects on these hardships as creative catharsis. The Frida Kahlo Portraits musiocally emulates these themes, drawing particularly on the artists heavy use of symbolism and expressive intentionality.

Performed by the Australian String Quartet.

Recorded for ABC Classic FM.

Violin I: Jasmin Parkinson-Stewart, Violin II: Eliza McCracken, Viola: Jared Yapp, Cello: Olivia Thorne

Video courtesy of Grebla Meida