At the project’s centre is the development of Ben Robinson’s String Quartet No.1: The Lure, a bold new 20-minute work composed especially for Penny Quartet.

A shared artistic vision, this project combines compositional development, a live premiere, and a professionally produced studio release – the debut release for both Ben Robinson and Penny Quartet.

A fully collaborative work.

Ben Robinson’s music explores the emotional complexity of contemporary life: the speed of modern existence, our increasingly digital world, and the challenge of finding meaning in an era of uncertainty. The Lure channels these ideas through the extraordinary immediacy and expressive range of the string quartet: music that is thrilling, vulnerable and deeply human.

The work’s subtitle reflects a defining reality of our time: the monetisation of our attention.

From social media feeds to the 24-hour news cycle, we exist in a world of unprecedented stimulation. Sometimes it numbs us into submission; sometimes we resist it. Sometimes we can laugh it off, and sometimes it’s overwhelming.

The music of this project creates space to reflect on that experience; to capture a moment in time and transform the beautiful messiness of contemporary life into something shared, meaningful and lasting.

The project will premiere on 19 November 2026 at Phoenix Central Park’s converted church in Alexandria, followed by the digital release of a studio recording in early 2027.