Penny Quartet ×
Ben Robinson
The Lure: A new string quartet and debut album.
OUR STORY
This artistic partnership began when Musica Viva Australia invited us to collaborate on a new string quartet arrangement for a national tour with First Nations singer-songwriter Jess Hitchcock.
Through that process, we discovered a shared musical language, creative energy, and a desire to continue exploring what was possible together.
The Lure builds on that momentum: an ambitious new collaboration between composer and ensemble, developed from the ground up.
THE PROJECT
At the project’s centre is the development of Ben Robinson’s String Quartet No.1, a bold new 20-minute work composed especially for Penny Quartet.
The Lure expands beyond this new quartet into an hour-long program featuring new string quartet arrangements of Ben’s recent works, each of which contributes to a clear conceptual arc.
A shared artistic vision, this project combines compositional development, a live premiere, and a professionally produced studio album – the debut album for both Ben Robinson and Penny Quartet.
A fully collaborative body of work.
THE MUSIC
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.
Through The Lure, this musical world is explored through the extraordinary expressive range of the string quartet: music that is thrilling, playful, vulnerable and deeply human.
WHY THE LURE?
The name 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 PREMIERE
The project will premiere in November 2026 at Phoenix Central Park’s converted church in Alexandria, followed by a studio recording and digital release — our first album.
Support the project.
New Australian music does not come to life on the page alone.
It requires time, collaboration and resources for composers and performers to develop, rehearse, refine, premiere and record new work at the highest artistic standard.
We are raising the final funds needed to complete The Lure and share this new Australian work with audiences through its premiere and studio album.
Your support will directly help bring this project from page to stage—and beyond.
Thank you.
This project wouldn’t be possible without the generosity and shared vision of our supporters:
Penny Le Couteur and Greg Dickson
Emma and Melwin Nelapati
Mark Wakely
Liam Johnson
Michael Hingston
Gill Bowers
Michelle Border
Samantha Greene
Paul Kildea
Melanie Miles
Lydia Wills
Daniel Scott
Alex Turley
Vanna Lockwood
Mitchell Davis and Jazlyn Alchin
Sam Turner
Elissa Donnellan
Madeleine and Jake Gregson
David Boyce
Alice Chance
Claire Edwardes
Chris Mooney
Lynda Latu
Susan Buchan
Steve and Ash Scott
Elizabeth Zhang
Rhys Michelis
Aran and Anna Chevalier
Ellen Goulding
Lucy Shorrocks
Anne Frankenberg
Maeve and Dulcie Rathbone
Oliver Cameron
Sam Bailey
Lachlan Horsley
Alice Morgan
Oscar Sweeney
Ella Howard
Peter Scott
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