The Pacifica Quartet holds the prestigious position of quartet in residence at the Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana where its members are full-time faculty members. Formed in the 1990s, the quartet is developing the communication that transforms an assortment of individuals into a cohesive, almost telepathic ensemble. Sharing early years of struggle and commitment to the ideal of the string quartet has given the group their signature sound.

Haydn's glorious String Quartet in G major, Op.76 opened the concert, interpreted with fresh and joyous enthusiasm. The musicians captured the distinctive momentum of this work, keeping the Adagio Sostenuto of the second movement slow, yet alive. A pervasive sweetness and warmth of instrument tone defined the performance.

Nigel Westlake's String Quartet No 2 (2005) was the jewel in the concert creating refreshing sounds pertinent to our times. Opening with a sequence of chords that were most unpleasant – but in a good way – the first movement gathered impetus with cleverly scored cohesive confusion in the upper strings above the insistent cello obligato. The second, introspective movement exploited syncopated motifs and ended with a deliciously executed pianissimo interval of a second between first and second violin – so simple and so striking! A distinctive Westlake theme with a hint of his Antarctica Suite entered the third movement, offering order and melody for the ears to recalibrate ready for the fourth movement with melodic elements resonating with references to eastern European dance music – the lower strings morphing into angry wasps above which soared the sinuous melodies played by the first and second violins.

To complete the evening, Mendelssohn's String Quartet No 2 offered the quartet the opportunity to indulge in soaring melodies and lush romantic harmonies. The first violin was perhaps a little hasty with the ends of the phrasing of the first subject in the opening movement which caused some unevenness in responses in the other parts, but this settled in the second movement; the Viola announcing the fugue shared throughout the parts, building in energy, grandeur and complexity as the united ensemble executed the intertwining melodic lines. An extremely lively Intermezzo followed by the final movement Presto sent up a dazzling cloud of notes to form a striking dramatic contrast to the final Adagio non lento – a surprising, restrained ending to focus the attention of the listener on these gentle concluding phrases.