So far, the Heath Quartet has functioned very well indeed. When not dangling from the rafters of London's better opera houses, the group is part of Wigmore Hall's emerging talent scheme, while the Heaths' first recording, of Michael Tippett's complete string quartets, won an award from classical music bible Gramophone for chamber album of the year.
"The recording was part of a Tippett celebration," says Heath. "We had to learn the quartets then the concerts happened and then the recording came from that, so it was a really long project. Then we got nice reviews and to get the award was like a Hollywood ending."
There's no Tippett on the Heaths' New Zealand tour but shows will end with the second quartet by Tippett's contemporary and countryman Benjamin Britten to give, says Heath, an epic piece with a triumphant ending.
Also on the programme, along with Bach and Haydn, is a new work, Te Kōanga, by New Zealander Gareth Farr.
"It's a lot of fun," says Heath. "It has atmospheric passages of bird song; it has quite dancey, rustic bits. We're enjoying it a lot; it's to be played with a smile on the face."
As well as giving concerts, the Heath Quartet will do some educational work with children.
"The reason I'm a musician is because of the transformative power of music, how it takes people out of their lives and offers them a vision of something different," Heath says. "It's nice to take what we do into schools and for children to have that same sort of transformative experience."
There are free 'close encounters' with the quartet for young people in Dunedin and Wellington, and, ahead of the Auckland concert, the Heaths team up with children from the Sistema Aotearoa programme, which gives instrumental lessons to 400 school kids in Ōtara and teaches beginner music skills to a further 300 pre-schoolers.
Jess Hindin, Sistema Aotearoa's music director, says seeing international musicians provides a different perspective.
"We have several professional musicians on our tutor team but it's exciting to have an international, touring string quartet who've dedicated their lives to refining their craft come and share their experiences from their travels," says Hindin. "Hearing new accents and musical concepts from new places is motivating for our older Sistema kids in particular, some of whom are looking at careers in music."
For Heath, it's about creating what he calls "moments", the eureka! experiences that change lives.
"Nearly all musicians had one or two of these moments, where they went to a concert or something and it was like, That's it, that's what I need to do, I need to be part of that," he says.
Heath's own moments include seeing violinist Salvatore Accardo play and having lessons with Shinichi Suzuki, the founder of the Suzuki violin method.
While seeing musicians close up means kids are exposed to transformative moments, there's plenty to be gained for the pros, too, says Heath, particularly if you play a lot of contemporary music as his quartet does.
"Kids respond so well to modern music. If you play new music to an experienced audience, they're preparing themselves for the worst a lot of the time. But children are just listening to the sounds and they respond so positively. Their imaginations go to some pretty extraordinary places, which is brilliant to experience as a performer."
Lowdown
What: Heath Quartet
Where & When: Touring New Zealand from Saturday, June 23 to Monday, July 2, details at chambermusic.co.nz
