Musica Viva Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the many lands on which we meet, work and live. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present – people who have sung their songs, danced their dances and told their stories on these lands for thousands of generations, and who continue to do so.
ADELAIDE
Adelaide Town Hall
Thursday 10 November, 7:30pm
Recorded for broadcast by ABC Classic
• Pre-concert talk: 6:45pm, Prince Alfred Room
• Meet the Artists after the concert
BRISBANE
Conservatorium Theatre, Griffith University, South Bank
Thursday 24 November, 7pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6:15pm, Boardroom, Qld Conservatorium, Griffith University
CANBERRA Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music
Thursday 17 November, 7pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6:15pm, Larry Sitsky Room
• Meet the Artists after the concert
MELBOURNE
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre
Saturday 12 November, 7pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6:15pm, Salzer Suite, Level 2
Tuesday 22 November, 7pm
Milan and Anne Kantor Tribute Concert
• Pre-concert talk: 6:15pm, Salzer Suite, Level 2
• Meet the Artists after the concert
NEWCASTLE
Newcastle City Hall
Tuesday 8 November, 7:30pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6:45pm, Mulubinba Room
• Meet the Artists after the concert
PERTH Perth Concert Hall
Monday 14 November, 7:30pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6:45pm, Corner Stage Riverside, Terrace Level
• Meet the Artists after the concert
SYDNEY City Recital Hall
Saturday 19 November, 2pm
• Pre-concert talk: 1:15pm, Function Room
Monday 21 November, 7pm This concert will be livestreamed
• Pre-concert talk: 6:15pm, Function Room
• CD Signing after the concert
With
Amadeus Society for their support of the 2022
Cover
Kurt Weill was that rarest of 20th-century beasts, simultaneously the creator of hugely popular theatrical works and the composer of a slew of distinctive art-music scores. His Violin Concerto is the product of his concert persona, with barely a nod to his theatrical life – a gritty work, with a dark beauty that befits its times. (It was written in 1924 in a matter of weeks.) ‘The work is inspired by the idea –one never carried out before – of juxtaposing a single violin with a chorus of winds,’ Weill told his publisher. It is played all too infrequently, which is why we commissioned this arrangement from Jessica Wells for the outstanding violinist Kristian Winther and the phenomenal Signum Saxophone Quartet, the latter making its Australian debut. Though perhaps Weill wasn’t that rare: by happenstance the century produced a worthy successor to him – the composer, conductor, pianist and pedagogue Leonard Bernstein. What a drab century it would have been without Bernstein! He burst onto the scene in 1943 and remained there until his death 49 years later. Symphonies, ballets, Broadway shows, operettas poured out of him. His Symphonic Dances from West Side Story have taken on a life every bit the equal of the show itself, and here are a vehicle for the Signum’s breathtaking style and virtuosity. And then there was Gershwin, Weill’s elder by two years. He too had a foot in each camp – his piano concerto is a work of genius –though he’s arguably better known for his jazz. How satisfying, then, to welcome this crack ensemble to the country with these three giants of the 20th century, and to pair it with such a great Australian soloist. Buckle up!
Paul Kildea Artistic Director Musica Viva Australia
Italian Concerto, BWV971 (1735, transcr. Katsuki Tochio) 12 min
I Allegro (Fast)
II Andante (At an easy walking pace)
III Presto (Quick)
Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra, Op. 12 (1924, arr. Jessica Wells) 28 min
Arrangement commissioned for Musica Viva Australia under the auspices of the Hildegard Project
I Andante con moto (At a walking pace, moving along)
IIa Notturno (Nocturne)
b Cadenza
c Serenata (Serenade)
III Allegro molto un poco agitato (Very fast, a little agitated)
George GERSHWIN (1898–1937)
Three Preludes (1926, arr. Signum Saxophone Quartet) 8 min
I Allegro ben ritmato e deciso (Fast, very rhythmic and decisive)
II Andante con moto e poco rubato (At a walking pace, moving along with a little give and take)
III Allegro ben ritmato e deciso (Fast, very rhythmic and decisive)
Leonard BERNSTEIN (1918–1990)
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (1961, arr. Sylvain Dedenon)
min
Chick COREA (1941–2021)
Spain (1971, arr. Izidor Leitinger) 5 min
The four musicians Blaž Kemperle, Hayrapet Arakelyan (replaced for this tour by new member Jacopo Taddei), Alan Lužar and Guerino Bellarosa met in Cologne where they founded the Signum Saxophone Quartet in 2006. The saxophonists have studied in Cologne, Vienna and Paris; they have been influenced and inspired by Quatuor Ébène, the Artemis Quartet and Gábor Takács-Nagy.
An award winner at international competitions including Lugano and Berlin, Signum nowadays plays in concert halls and at festivals all over Europe. In 2013 the ensemble made its debut in New York’s Carnegie Hall. Selected for the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) Rising Stars series in 2014/2015, Signum performed in such prestigious concert halls as the Barbican Centre in London, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Baden-Baden’s Festspielhaus and Philharmonie Luxembourg. Recently Signum was named Best Ensemble at the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival in Germany.
Signum is constantly searching for new ideas, ground-breaking challenges and intriguing artistic encounters, creating extraordinary programs and inspiring soundscapes
that reflect the quartet’s sheer joy and experimental versatility. Recent collaborations have included Starry Night with percussionist Alexej Gerassimez, BACHianas with cellists Tanja Tetzlaff and Konstantin Manaev; Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Lukas Geniušas, Goldberg Nights with Kai Schumacher on piano and prepared piano, and a new project with violinist Daniel Hope. Signum also continues to perform with orchestras, including Philip Glass’s Concerto for Orchestra and Saxophone Quartet and Bob Mintzer’s The Rhythm of the Americas with the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Münster Symphony Orchestra and with the Duisburg Philharmonic, with whom Signum has recently completed a season as Artist in Residence. Signum also cares deeply about the audience of tomorrow, and has devised its own educational family concert SIGNUM4kids.
Following its first two albums, Debut (2011) and Balkanication (2014), Signum Saxophone Quartet released its first Deutsche Grammophon album, ECHOES, in 2021. Featuring inventive arrangements by composers from Dowland, Fauré and Albinoni to Peter Gregson, as well as Guillermo Lago’s Sarajevo, an original work for saxophone quartet, the album also includes standout tracks by Max Richter and Joep Beving.
Kristian Winther is widely recognised for his ability to perform both as a virtuosic violin soloist and as an energetic and brilliant chamber musician, seeking musical challenges performing classic, contemporary and rare works.
As violin soloist, Kristian has appeared with the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Christchurch and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Auckland Philharmonic, Gruppo Montebello and Orchestra Romantique. He has performed under the batons of conductors including Jessica Cottis, Olli Mustonen, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Marcus Stenz, Oleg Caetani, David Robertson and Fabian Russell.
In the role of leader / director, he has performed as Guest Concertmaster of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Melbourne and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, and as leader / director of ACO Collective.
A devoted chamber musician, Kristian was formerly violinist in the Tinalley String Quartet, winning first prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition, which was followed by tours of the USA, Canada and Europe. He has also performed chamber music with Anthony Romaniuk, Daniel de Borah, Anne Sofie von Otter, Angela Hewitt, Steven Osborne, Anna Goldsworthy, Richard Tognetti, Brett and Paul Dean, Konstantin Shamray, Hue Blanes and Joe Chindamo. As an original musician of the Play On series since 2016, Kristian has performed music from the 16th to the 21st centuries at diverse venues including an underground car park in Melbourne’s Collingwood and a night club in Berlin. Other recent solo / chamber music highlights include performing all of JS Bach’s unaccompanied sonatas and partitas at the Canberra Festival in a single day, the complete Schumann String Quartets in one concert on raw gut strings, and Reger’s monumental Violin Concerto at the Orlando Festival in the Netherlands.
Committed to performing new repertoire, Kristian gave the world premiere of Olli Mustonen’s Sonata for Violin and Orchestra (with the composer conducting the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), as well as the Australian premieres of works by Andriessen, Knussen, Kurtág, Salonen, Rihm, Widmann, Kelly-Marie Murphy and numerous Australian composers. Kristian also gave the Australian premiere of John Adams’ concertante work for string quartet and orchestra Absolute Jest with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Australian and New Zealand premieres of Brett Dean’s violin concerto The Lost Art of Letter Writing.
Kristian performs on a violin crafted by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, Paris, 1859, on generous loan from UKARIA Cultural Centre.
Jessica Wells is a versatile composer, orchestrator and arranger for concerts, films, theatre and album recordings.
Since obtaining her Master of Music in Composition (Sydney Conservatorium of Music) and Master of Arts in Screen Composition (Australian Film Television and Radio School), her career has gone from strength to strength. Her business of
over 15 years, Jigsaw Music, provides music preparation services for clients all over the country and overseas.
Jessica has orchestrated over 70 films and wrote the theme for ABC TV’s Q&A program –which makes her kids think she’s famous. Her orchestral music and arrangements have been performed by many of the major Australian orchestras, including the Sydney, Melbourne, Tasmanian, West Australian and Queensland Symphony Orchestras. She was commissioned to write two pieces for Victorian Opera’s Seven Deadly Sins project, which was performed in 2015 featuring seven singers and full orchestra, and acclaimed as a highlight of the year in Melbourne’s art scene.
She was a finalist in the 2017 APRA Art Music Awards in the category of Instrumental Work of the Year for her piece Moon Fire, for the National Carillon and electronic track. Jessica was previously nominated for an Art Music Award in 2001 for her orchestral work
Ainulindale.
From 2017 to 2020 she was the Musical Director of the APRA Screen Music Awards, and she is the current Vice President of the Music Arrangers Guild of Australia.
When Adolphe Sax began experimenting with adaptations to his bass clarinet, he was not looking for the ultimate jazz instrument; his intention was to augment the timbral possibilities of classical music. He wanted to develop something with the projection of a brass instrument and the agility of a woodwind instrument. The result was the saxophone, a keyed brass horn (like a trumpet) with a single-reed mouthpiece (like a clarinet). In 1846 he applied, successfully, for a patent for 14 different versions of the new instrument –E-flat and B-flat models each in seven sizes from basso to sopranino.
Soon after that the saxophone began to appear in orchestral scores: Bizet wrote for saxophone in L’Arlésienne, Delibes included a part for saxophone in Sylvia, and Richard Strauss, Mussorgsky, Glazunov and Ravel all experimented with its versatile timbre. However, the saxophone did not achieve widespread popularity until the advent of vaudeville, dance band music and jazz.
So where does the saxophone fit best? Within notated classical and dance music, or improvised jazz, or none of the above? For the four musicians of Signum Saxophone Quartet the question is irrelevant. None of the works on this program were originally written for saxophone but the Signums have made all of them their own.
© HARRIET CUNNINGHAMrecent Goldberg Variations). Katsuki Tochio’s arrangement of Bach’s Italian Concerto here is an arrangement of a work which is already a version of a version. Strictly speaking, Bach’s Italian Concerto is neither Italian nor a concerto. In its original form Bach’s Concerto nach italienischen Gusto, ‘in the Italian style’, is the first half of his 1735 Clavier-Übung, a book of keyboard exercises for double manual keyboard. ‘In the Italian style’ is a nod to the orchestral concertos of Vivaldi, many of which Bach arranged for keyboard, and whose characteristic fast-slow-fast pace he uses here. The outer movements, two spritely ritornellos, wrap around the stark beauty of an arioso in the relative minor key.
© HARRIET CUNNINGHAMThe music of JS Bach has been the subject of countless transcriptions, arrangements and improvisations (not least, Paul Grabowsky’s
Kurt Weill’s musical output during the ‘Golden Twenties’ in post-World War One Berlin was heavily influenced by his teacher Ferruccio Busoni, a sought-after pianist and teacher of composition who had connections with Stravinsky, Varèse and Schoenberg. Busoni’s own compositions had moved well towards atonality, and this is reflected in Weill’s 1924 Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra.
Weill composed this concerto in a lull after working on the opera Der Protagonist with playwright Georg Kaiser, which opened in 1926 to great acclaim and set him on the path towards becoming a well-established composer of songs and stage works. ‘I am working on a concerto for violin and wind orchestra that I hope to finish within two or three weeks,’ Weill wrote to Universal. ‘The
JS Bach
Kurt Weill
work is inspired by the idea – one never carried out before – of juxtaposing a single violin with a chorus of winds.’
Indeed this ensemble was completely unique for its time and even almost a century later very few works for this instrumentation exist. Weill expects the winds and brass to perform at an extraordinary level of dexterity, and uses percussion such as xylophone, snare drum and bass drum to punctuate the incessant rhythms of the score. The violin soloist must wrangle with ever-morphing arpeggios, difficult double-stops and explore the extreme high register of the instrument, as well as characterising quirky waltz or march-like passages interrupted with constant meter changes.
Creating a new arrangement of the concerto utilising a saxophone quartet rather than a wind orchestra presented many challenges and obstacles to be overcome in order to preserve the character of the work and open up the music to a new angle of interpretation. Double bass (though not a wind instrument) was used throughout Weill’s score to give a pizzicato accompaniment, to which the staccato baritone saxophone was well-suited as a substitute. Xylophone and snare drum hits were translated into pitched rhythms, and when faced with a heavily voiced chord of more than four notes, many hours were spent listening and deciding which four-note voicing would best suit the character of the harmony, or whether adding tremolos or trills could realise the chord more fully, adding texture and depth.
The unique quality of saxophone tone colours and techniques allowed a large range of dynamics to be achieved, and each size of saxophone paired with the violin created timbres different from the original oboe, trumpet and flute pairings the composer used in the centre movements.
Overall this incredibly detailed and challenging work is a thrilling showpiece, showing off the virtuosic capabilities of all the performers and bringing a new light to a century-old gem.
JESSICA WELLSOn a wintry morning in New York early last century George Gershwin sat down at his desk with a new manuscript book and wrote at the top of the first page, ‘Preludes, Jan 1925’. He then sketched out the first eleven bars of what was to be a major piano work, a set of 24 preludes, in the grand tradition. The book still exists but the front four pages are torn out and the remaining scribbles are workings for his Cuban Overture. So much for New Year’s resolutions…
Gershwin only ever published three preludes but, as you will hear, they turned out to be three fragments of explosive brilliance, played here in the quartet’s own arrangement. The first, Allegro ben ritmato e deciso, opens with a provocation, answered by a question, prompting a playful back and forth. The second, Andante con moto e poco rubato, could be the soundtrack to a clandestine rendezvous in a smoky downtown bar. The third, again Allegro ben ritmato e deciso, is like a brief but dazzling star turn before the curtain goes down.
© HARRIET CUNNINGHAMLike the music of JS Bach, the plays of William Shakespeare have been adapted, reworked and reimagined innumerable times, and none more so than Romeo and Juliet. Jerome Robbins’ 1957 version, West Side Story, recasts the Montagues and the Capulets as rival street gangs who fight and dance and fall in love to the music of Leonard Bernstein. In 1960 Bernstein created a nine movement suite, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, expanding the forces on stage from the original 31-piece pit band to a full symphony orchestra. The arrangement you’ll hear tonight
packs Bernstein’s symphonic scoring plus some bonus hit songs from the musical into a 20-minute showcase for saxophone quartet. The appeal of the music of Leonard Bernstein, says Alan Lužar of the Signum Saxophone Quartet, is that he can combine a jazz and classical aesthetic simultaneously: West Side Story is full of jazz and Latin-American inspired dance rhythms, and yet it is driven by sublime arias, leitmotifs and counterpoint. This meeting of musics makes it the perfect playground for a cross-genre group like Signum.
Their choice of numbers from the suite and the musical is designed to show off the expressive range of their instruments. It does, however, remain at all times faithful to Bernstein’s score. Listen out, for example for the distinctive tritone figure of C–F-sharp–G, instantly recognisable as the opening of the song Maria, but appearing, like a persistent echo, throughout. As Bernstein later wrote: ‘The three notes pervade the whole piece, inverted, done backwards. I didn’t do all this on purpose. It seemed to come out in Cool and as the gang whistle [in the Prologue]. The same three notes.’
dance. Sylvain Dedenon’s arrangement follows this with Somewhere, Maria and Tony’s hopeful but, ultimately, tragic love duet. The dazzling tour of West Side Story ends with Maria’s ebullient I Feel Pretty
HARRIET CUNNINGHAM
Signum’s West Side Story begins with the Prologue, an edgy scene-setter. Something’s Coming introduces the idealistic Tony, our romantic hero. Tonight is Tony’s duet with Maria in the musical’s equivalent of the play’s balcony scene. The next number is driven by the irresistible rhythmic pattern of (I like to be in) America. Cool shows off Bernstein at his genre-hopping best, taking fragments of melody and winding them into a complex fugue which is, simultaneously, a classical
Chick Corea was a titan of the jazz world and is widely considered to be one of the foremost jazz pianists of all time. Across a recording and performing career that spanned nearly 60 years (and more than 60 Grammy nominations), Corea wrote several jazz standards, of which Spain is undoubtedly his most recognisable.
First appearing on Corea’s 1973 album Light as a Feather, Spain was inspired by Miles Davis’s recording of Concierto de Aranjuez – an arrangement of Joaquín Rodrigo’s work for guitar and orchestra, and the first track of Davis’s tremendously influential 1960 album Sketches of Spain. Corea had recorded and toured briefly with Davis’s band, replacing Herbie Hancock in 1968, and Davis’s influence on Corea’s music cannot be overstated.
Spain opens with an arrangement of the Adagio from the Concierto de Aranjuez, before breaking into an energetic samba denoted by the main theme, based on the chord progression from the same movement. Spain has been covered by several notable artists since its release including Béla Fleck, Jaco Pastorius, Stevie Wonder and James Galway. The version you will hear today was arranged for saxophone quartet by Izidor Leitinger.
© JAMES MOUNTAIN
A good team meeting will start with a hot cup of coffee – and it’s no different for the members of Signum Saxophone Quartet.
Except once they’ve sipped their final drop, they don’t sit around a boardroom table with pen and paper in hand. They pick up their instruments and dive straight into rehearsal, preparing the music they’ll perform at Carnegie Hall, at an international competition – or on their Musica Viva Australia tour.
‘What I love most about rehearsing together is that four strong and different opinions keep the rehearsal exciting,’ Alan Lužar shares. He plays tenor saxophone alongside his fellow ensemble members Blaž Kemperle (soprano), Jacopo Taddei (alto) and Guerino Bellarosa (baritone).
Through caffeine-fuelled gatherings, the young saxophonists indulge in music and conversation, conjuring the creative vision that has landed them record deals with labels as big as Deutsche Grammophon.
This Australia tour is no less substantial: it’s the first time an arts organisation has brought Signum Saxophone Quartet to the country. Alan describes this Musica Viva Australia opportunity as ‘an enormous pleasure’. To him, the brightest drawcard is playing beautiful music for people he’s never met – and ‘having a lot of fun’ along the way.
Signum was founded in Cologne back in 2006; not a decade later, the players were named Rising Stars by the European Concert
Hall Organisation – an award that sent them touring through the continent’s most prestigious venues. The group may be closeknit behind the scenes, but with open arms (and trademark charisma), these players welcome audiences to join them as they ‘discover secret messages that music is full of.’
The versatile saxophone has proven capable of playing almost any genre of music since its creation. It’s old, in the sense that it was invented in the 1840s. It’s also new, having been designed centuries later than most other instruments you’d typically find in a chamber ensemble. As such, it’s a desirable outcast of the music world: it’s rarely invited to sit with an orchestra, yet it’s often given the solo on the rare occasion it’s composed into a symphonic work. It’s remained popular through the eras of jazz, rock and K-pop, and it’s equally accepted among art music crowds who meditate through the repetition of a Philip Glass composition.
With Musica Viva Australia, the saxophone will fly through music from composers as diverse as Bach and Gershwin, Bernstein and Chick Corea. Few instruments could so effortlessly combine such an extraordinary range of works into a single program.
Alan describes the saxophone as a ‘chameleon of music’ capable of awe-inspiring tonal colours. Multiply its potential by the players of his quartet – who sing through soprano or boom through baritone – and you arrive at ‘limitless possibilities to express emotions through sound’.
It’s enough to fuel the passion of these four instrumentalists, and to attract audiences who may be curious to hear the saxophone in a classically inspired concert. It’s also drawn the interest of Australian composer Jessica Wells, who crafted a new arrangement of Kurt Weill’s 1924 Violin Concerto – reimagining the sound of an entire wind orchestra and giving all its themes to the saxophone family.
‘This was an opportunity to be creatively put to the test, and I relished that,’ Jessica says.
‘Replacing a high flute part with soprano sax, and a pizzicato double bass with a staccato baritone sax, seemed like obvious choices. But what to do with a snare drum? All of the creative choices were actually rather fun to work out!’
Musica Viva Australia commissioned her arrangement under the auspices of the Hildegard Project. Jessica reckons it’s been an ‘unusual project’: an orchestra has tens of players, and this ensemble has four. Luckily, those four can ‘pack a punch and be brassy, or can be mellow and round.’
‘Dynamic control allows for a huge range of tones and timbres,’ Jessica says. ‘This all adds to the excitement of exploring how to present the contrasting movements of this work.’
Alan adds: ‘You can imagine what a great job an arranger has to do – that four instruments not only replace a whole orchestra, but also give new, unknown colours to the piece.’
Through Jessica’s skilful arrangement, just one instrument takes the same role it played in Weill’s original – the violin. And Canberraborn soloist Kristian Winther is tasked with performing it.
In the past, this award-winning violinist has taken to the stage with major orchestras – the Melbourne, Tasmanian, Sydney and West Australian among others. Naturally, Jessica predicts ‘audiences are going to be really wowed by this performance.’
‘I’m super excited to be working with Signum and Kristian Winther to bring this score to life… It requires virtuosity and high levels of electricity between the musicians on stage,’ she says.
‘I’m thrilled to be giving some pre-concert talks on this tour for Musica Viva Australia, and seeing the audience’s reaction to this incredible work from a century ago being brought back to the concert stage with a new perspective.’
Alan is bursting with similar enthusiasm, revealing the group ‘cannot wait to play for you.’
So let’s hear them!
ACT Geoffrey & Margaret Brennan, Clive & Lynlea Rodger, Ruth Weaver, Anonymous (4)
NSW Jennifer Bott AO, Catherine Brown-Watt PSM & Derek Watt, Lloyd & Mary Jo Capps AM, Andrew & Felicity Corkill, Peter Cudlipp, Liz Gee, Suzanne Gleeson, David & Christine Hartgill, Annie Hawker, Elaine Lindsay, Trevor Noffke, Dr David Schwartz, Ruth Spence-Stone, Mary Vallentine AO, Deirdre Nagle Whitford, Richard Wilkins, Kim Williams AM, Megan & Bill Williamson, Ray Wilson OAM, Anonymous (12)
QLD Anonymous (2)
SA Monica Hanusiak-Klavins & Martin Klavins, Anonymous (5)
TAS Kim Paterson QC, Anonymous
VIC Elizabeth & Anthony Brookes, Julian Burnside AO QC, Ms Helen Dick, Robert Gibbs & Tony Wildman, Helen Vorrath, Anonymous (8)
WA Graham Lovelock, Anonymous (4)
NSW The late Charles Berg, The late Janette Hamilton, The late Dr Ralph Hockin in memory of Mabel Hockin, The late Kenneth W Tribe AC
QLD The late Steven Kinston, Anonymous
SA The late Edith Dubsky, The late John Lane Koch, The late Lesley Lynn
VIC The late Raymond Brooks, In memory of Anita Morawetz, The family of the late Paul Morawetz, The late Dr G D Watson
Our artistic vision for 2022 is made possible thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our Ensemble Patrons, each of whom supports the presentation of an entire national tour for our 2022 Season.
Ian Dickson AM & Reg Holloway (Van Diemen’s Band) Anonymous (Paul Grabowsky & Andrea Lam) Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann, Susie Dickson, and Ms Felicity Rourke & Justice François Kunc as part of The Travellers – Giving Circle (A Winter’s Journey)
Australian Music Foundation (Z.E.N. Trio) Eleanore Goodridge OAM (Avi Avital & Giovanni Sollima)
Adelaide Helen Bennetts & Tim Lloyd, Joan & Ivan Blanchard, Helen Fulcher, The late Lesley Lynn, Dr Susan Marsden & Michael Szwarcbord, Leonie Schmidt & Michael Davis, Anonymous (2)
Brisbane Ian & Cass George, Andrew & Kate Lister, Barry & Diana Moore, The Hon Justice A Philippides, Anonymous
Canberra The Musica Viva Australia ACT Committee & Ruth Weaver, Andrew Blanckensee Music Lover, Humphries Family Trust, Malcolm Gillies & David Pear in memory of Stewart Gillies, Dr Sue Packer, Sue Terry & Len Whyte, Anonymous
Melbourne Alexandra Clemens, Continuo Collective, Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann, Monica Lim & Konfir Kabo, Peter Lovell, Rosemary & John MacLeod, The Morawetz Family in memory of Paul Morawetz, Allan Myers QC AC in honour of the 90th birthday of Barry Jones AC, Greg Shalit & Miriam Faine (2), Dr Michael Troy, The Musica Viva Australia Victorian Committee, Anonymous
Newcastle Megan & Bill Williamson, Gay Bookallil & the Musica Viva Australia Newcastle Committee
Perth Dr Robert Larbalestier AO, Deborah Lehmann AO & Michael Alpers AO, In memory of Stephanie Quinlan (2), David Wallace & Jamelia Gubgub, Valerie & Michael Wishart
Sydney Patricia Crummer, Pam Cudlipp, Dr Jennifer Donald & Mr Stephen Burford, Charles Graham – in acknowledgement of his piano teacher, Sana Chia, Katherine & Reg Grinberg, Anthony Strachan, Kay Vernon, Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey (2), Ray Wilson OAM
Darin Cooper Foundation, Stephen & Michele Johns AMADEUS SOCIETY
Tony Berg AM & Carol Berg, Marc Besen AC & Eva Besen AO dec., Ms Jan Bowen AM, Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn AO, Dr Di Bresciani OAM, Julian Burnside AO QC (President, Melbourne) & Kate Durham, Dr Helen Ferguson, Ms Annabella Fletcher, Dr Annette Gero, Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann, Katherine & Reg Grinberg, Jennifer Hershon & Russell Black, Penelope Hughes, Michael & Frederique Katz, Ruth Magid & Bob Magid OAM, Prof. John Rickard, Andrew Rosenberg, Ray Wilson OAM
The Masterclasses Giving Circle is a group of generous donors whose collective support will enable the artistic development of the next generation of Australian chamber musicians.
Nicholas Callinan AO & Elizabeth Callinan, Caroline & Robert Clemente, Ian & Caroline Frazer, Patricia H. Reid Endowment Fund, Andrew Sisson AO & Tracey Sisson, Mick & Margaret Toller, Anonymous (1)
Musica Viva Australia is proud to support the creation of new Australian works through The Ken Tribe Fund for Australian Composition and The Hildegard Project We are grateful to the following individuals and collectives for their generous support of this work:
In loving memory of Jennifer Bates, Christine Bollen & Friends, Julian Burnside AO QC & Kate Durham, The Barry Jones Birthday Commission, Michael & Fréderique Katz in honour of Cecily Katz, Graham Lovelock & Steve Singer, D R & K M Magarey, Vicki Olsson, The Silo Collective, Tribe family in honour of Doug Tribe’s 75th birthday, WA Commissioning Circle
The Barry Jones Birthday Commission ($500+) Steve Bracks AC & Terry Bracks AM, Dr George Deutsch OAM & Kathy Deutsch, Carrillo Gantner AC & Ziyin Gantner, Professor Margaret Gardner AC & Professor Glyn Davis AC, Naomi & George Golvan QC, Hon David Harper AM, Ellen Koshland & James McCaughey, Miles Lewis, Barry McGaw, Jeannette McHugh, Fiona McLeod AO SC, Peter & Ruth McMullin, Julie & Ian Macphee, peckvonhartel architects, Ralph & Ruth Renard, Anne & Robert Richter QC, Gianna Rosica, Joy Selby Smith, Smith Family, Maureen & Tony Wheeler, Lyn Williams, Dr Robyn Williams AO, Bob, Robyn, Annie & Nick, Anonymous (3)
$100,000+
NSW The Berg Family Foundation, Patricia H. Reid Endowment Fund
$50,000–$99,999
ACT Marion & Michael Newman
NSW J A Donald Family, Katherine & Reg Grinberg, Tom & Elisabeth Karplus
$20,000–$49,999
NSW Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn AO, Michael & Fréderique Katz, Vicki Olsson
QLD Ian & Caroline Frazer, Andrea & Malcolm Hall-Brown
VIC The Morawetz Family in memory of Paul Morawetz, Anonymous
WA Anonymous
$10,000–$19,999
ACT R & V Hillman, Anonymous
NSW Anne & Terrey Arcus AM, Gardos Family, Gresham Partners, Hilmer Family Endowment, Nigel & Carol Price, Anthony Strachan
QLD Anonymous
SA Jennifer & John Henshall, Anonymous
VIC Roger Druce & Jane Bentley, Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann, Mercer Family Foundation, Monica Lim & Konfir Kabo, Peter Lovell, Marjorie Nicholas OAM, Anonymous
WA Team Legacy, Deborah Lehmann AO & Michael Alpers AO
$5,000–$9,999
ACT Goodwin Crace Concertgoers, Craig Reynolds, Sue Terry & Len Whyte
We thank all our audience members who donated the value of their cancelled tickets towards the Artist Fund and sincerely appreciate the generous support we receive from our incredible community. We encourage you to scan the QR code to see a full list of donors over $500 to Musica Viva Australia.
NSW Christine Bishop, Patricia Crummer, Jo & Barry Daffron, Sarah & Tony Falzarano, Iphygenia Kallinikos, Mrs W G Keighley, D R & K M Magarey, Hywel Sims, David & Carole Singer, Diane Sturrock, Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey
QLD Andrew & Kate Lister, The Hon Justice A Philippides SA Aldridge Family Endowment, Anonymous
VIC In memory of Kate Boyce, Robert Gibbs & Tony Wildman, Doug Hooley, Andrew Johnston, Joy Selby Smith, Greg Shalit & Miriam Faine, Stephen Shanasy, Anonymous
WA Anonymous (2)
$2,500–$4,999
ACT Kristin van Brunschot & John Holliday, Dr Andrew Singer, Ruth Weaver, Anonymous
NSW Penny Beran, Susan Burns, ADFAS Newcastle, Andrew Rosenberg, Jo Strutt
QLD Greyhound Australia
SA DJ & EM Bleby, Peter Clifton
VIC Jan Begg, Alastair & Sue Campbell, Anne Frankenberg & Adrian McEniery, Lyndsey & Peter Hawkins, Ralph & Ruth Renard, Maria Sola, Helen Vorrath, Igor Zambelli
WA David Cooke, Ros Kesteven, Zoe Lenard & Hamish Milne, Mrs Morrell, Anonymous
$1,000–$2,499
ACT Andrew Blanckensee, The Breen/Dullo Family, Odin Bohr & Anna Smet, Dudley & Helen Creagh, Martin Dolan, Liz & Alex Furman, Olivia Gesini, Malcolm Gillies AM, Kingsley Herbert, Margaret & Peter Janssens, Garth Mansfield, Teresa Neeman, Margaret Oates, S Packer, Clive & Lynlea Rodger, Hannah Semler, Anonymous (3)
NSW Judith Allen, David & Rae Allen, Maia Ambegaokar & Joshua Bishop, Dr Warwick Anderson, Stephen Booth, Vicki Brooke, Neil Burns, Hugh & Hilary Cairns, Hon J C Campbell QC & Mrs Campbell, Lloyd & Mary Jo Capps AM, Robin & Wendy Cumming, Thomas Dent, Nancy Fox AM & Bruce Arnold, John & Irene Garran, H2 Cairns Foundation, Annie Hawker, Robert & Lindy Henderson, Margaret Hicks, Lybus Hillman, Dr Ailsa Hocking & Dr Bernard Williams, Dorothy Hoddinott AO, Catharine & Robert Kench, Kevin & Deidre McCann, Arthur & Elfreda Marshall, Dr Dennis Mather & John Studdert, Mora Maxwell, Michael & Janet Neustein, Paul O’Donnell, In memory of Katherine Robertson, Ms Vivienne Sharpe, Dr Robyn Smiles, Tom & Dalia Stanley, Geoff Stearn, Richard & Beverley Taperell, Graham & Judy Tribe, Dr Elizabeth Watson, John & Flora Weickhardt, Richard Wilkins, Megan & Bill Williamson, Anonymous (6)
QLD George Booker & Denise Bond, Prof. Paul & Ann Crook, John & Denise Elkins, Robin Harvey, Lynn & John Kelly, Dr Helen Kerr & Dr John Ratcliffe, Jocelyn Luck, Barry & Diana Moore, Keith Moore, Debra & Patrick Mullins, Barbara Williams & Jankees van der Have, Anonymous
SA The late Peter Bailie & Ann-Maree O’Connor, Ivan & Joan Blanchard, Richard Blomfield, Max & Ionie Brennan, John & Libby Clapp, The Hon. Christopher Legoe AO QC & Mrs Jenny Legoe, Joan Lyons, Fiona MacLachlan OAM, Dr Leo Mahar, Geoff & Sorayya Martin, Ann & David Matison, Diane Myers, H & I Pollard, Trish & Richard Ryan AO, Anne Sutcliffe, Anonymous
VIC Joanna Baevski, Russ & Jacqui Bate, Marlyn Bancroft, Peter Burch AM BM, Alison & John Cameron, Alex & Elizabeth Chernov, Lord Ebury, Dr Glenys & Dr Alan French, Virginia Henry, Dr Anthea Hyslop, Helen Imber, John V Kaufman QC, Angela Kayser, Angela & Richard Kirsner, Ann Lahore, Janet McDonald, Ruth McNair AM & Rhonda Brown in memory of Patricia Begg & David McNair, June K Marks, Christopher Menz & Peter Rose, Traudl Moon OAM,
The Myer Foundation, Sir Gustav Nossal, Barry Robbins, Murray Sandland, Gary Singer & Geoffrey Smith, Darren Taylor & Kent Stringer, Wendy R. Taylor, Ray Turner & Jennifer Seabrook, Dr Victor Wayne & Dr Karen Wayne OAM, Mark & Anna Yates, Anonymous
WA David & Minnette Ambrose, Dr S Cherian, Michael & Wendy Davis, In memory of Raymond Dudley, Dr Penny Herbert in memory of Dunstan Herbert, Anne Last & Steve Scudamore, Hugh & Margaret Lydon, Olivier David & Dr Bennie Ng, Mandy Loton OAM, Marian Magee & David Castillo, John Overton, Margaret & Roger Seares, Vivienne Stewart, Robyn Tamke, Anonymous (4)
ACT Geoffrey & Margaret Brennan, Christopher Clarke, Peter Cumines, Jill Fleming, Robert Hefner, Mary Elspeth Humphries, Claudia Hyles OAM, Margaret Lovell & Grant Webeck, Margaret Millard, Robert Orr, Helen Rankin, Dr Paul & Dr Lel Whitbread, Anonymous (2)
NSW Jock Baird in memoriam Annette McClure, Barbara Brady, K Becker, Denise Braggett, Christopher & Margaret Burrell, Robert Cahill & Anne Cahill OAM, Lucia Cascone, Michael & Colleen Chesterman, Zoë Cobden-Jewitt & Peter Jewitt, Rhonwen Cuningham, Trish & John Curotta, Professor Zoltan Endre, Dr Arno Enno & Dr Anna Enno, Anthony Gregg, Roland & Margaret Hicks, David & Sarah Howell, Alicia Howlett, David & Jennifer Jacobs, Megan Jones, In honour of Michael Katz, Cynthia Kaye, K P Kemp, Mathilde Kearny-Kibble, Graham & Sue Lane, Olive Lawson, Dr Colin MacArthur, Ian & Pam McGaw, Laura McDonald, Dr V Jean McPherson, Robert McDougall, Alan & Rosemary Moore, Donald Nairn, Professors Robin & Tina Offler, Kim & Margie Ostinga, Christina Pender, Dr John Rogers, Penny Rogers, Peter & Heather Roland, Professor Lynne Selwood, Andrew Wells AM, Margaret Wright OAM, Anonymous (10)
QLD Geoffrey Beames, Janet Franklin, Marie Isackson, Diana Lungren, Timothy Matthies & Chris Bonnily, Anonymous
SA Daniel & Susan Hains, Elizabeth Ho OAM in honour of the late Tom Steel, Dr Iwan Jensen, Helga Linnert & Douglas Ransom, Ruth Marshall & Tim Muecke, Linda Sampson, Tony Seymour, Anonymous (5)
VIC David Bernshaw & Caroline Isakow, Helen Brack, John & Chris Collingwood, John & Mandy Collins, Ted & Alison Davies, Beverley Douglas, Mary-Jane Gething, John & Margaret Harrison, Irene Kearsey & Michael Ridley, Jane Lazarevic, Eda Ritchie AM, Maureen Turner, Anonymous (5)
WA Joan Carney, Fred & Angela Chaney, Rachel & Bruce Craven, Helen Dwyer, Jennifer L Jones, Paula Nathan AO & Yvonne Patterson, Lindsay & Suzanne Silbert, Father Richard Smith, Ruth Stratton, Christopher Tyler, Anonymous (6)
Musica Viva Australia is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
Musica Viva Australia is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
Musica Viva Australia is a Not-for-profit Organisation endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient and registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
‘I’m extremely thankful that I was able to move past any nervousness during the class, and just enjoy the music-making –Konstantin Shamray was such an engaging communicator of his musical ideas, and he offered so much new information that I am eager to apply.’
– Participant, Konstantin Shamray Masterclass
Musica Viva Australia masterclasses support emerging artists around the country to learn from world-class musicians. In many ways, mentoring through masterclasses is at the heart of what Musica Viva Australia does.
Hosted in partnership with a national network of high schools, universities and industry partners, masterclasses allow Australian and international artists to share their knowledge with young musicians. A national network of hosts means that we can deliver on our commitment to free, world-class professional development for emerging Australian musicians, regardless of their geography or circumstances.
The Musica Viva Australia Masterclasses Giving Circle is a group of generous donors whose collective support will enable the artistic development of the next generation of Australian chamber musicians. Through their vision, our masterclasses provide an essential opportunity for young musicians around the country to encounter new ideas and approaches to music-making.
‘Being a cellist and cello teacher in Perth, I was thrilled that Narek Hakhnazaryan presented his masterclass in my city. Again, it was phenomenal. I have participated in and attended very many masterclasses during my career, both in Australia and overseas, and rank this as one of the best. Narek’s advice to the young cellists was very considered, articulate and helpful.’
– Dr Rebecca Meegan-Lowe, Narek Hakhnazaryan (Z.E.N. Trio) Masterclass audience member
During a Musica Viva Australia Masterclass, outstanding artists from national concert series tours work with advanced students and early career musicians in front of a live audience.
‘There’s a river that elite musicians must cross to succeed. On one bank there is their musical education. They’ve reached the point where our education programs have delivered everything they can. On the other bank lie their career paths as successful even pre-eminent musicians. Musica Viva Australia’s masterclasses are unique in this country in that they offer elite musicians an opportunity to rub shoulders musically with not only the best Australian musicians but the best the world can offer too. To audit a masterclass is to watch a musical transformation in real time. I have seen again and again wonderful young musicians improve their interpretation out of sight by following the advice of their teachers in masterclasses.’
Teachers, performers and listeners take a deep dive into the music as a collective experience, discovering not only new ways to play but new ways to teach and new ways to listen.
Students specifically note that the expert advice is beneficial as they are supported to understand the relevance and application of the feedback to their individual development.
‘Jean had a lot of helpful advice especially for stylistic changes and interpretation. He also gave us advice in just all areas of music, for example he talked a bit on how to control nerves and be a more confident performer.’
Through the support of our Masterclass Giving Circle, young musicians come to understand their place within a community of global performers and music educators. They value differences as well as similarities, feel connected to others, accept and embrace their own musical traditions, and become empowered to change those things that should be changed and embrace new perspectives. You can experience the impact and joy of a Musica Viva Australia Masterclass in person or through our livestream events. musicaviva.com.au/masterclasses
‘As young musicians we all benefit hugely from the teaching and mentorship of our elders, which is why when we become those elders we are all hugely passionate about returning the favour. That’s the joy – indeed the fuel – of masterclasses.’
– Paul Kildea, Artistic Director, Musica Viva Australia
Narek Hakhnazaryan with students at the University of Western Australia, Conservatorium of Music.
In 2021 the Musica Viva Australia Masterclass Giving Circle supported 13 live and digital masterclasses with ten inspiring artists including Konstantin Shamray, Diana Doherty, Dene Olding and Julian Smiles, which reached 728 people.
To support the next generation of Australian musicians through our Musica Viva Australia Masterclass Giving Circle, please contact Zoë Cobden-Jewitt, Director of Development zcobden-jewitt@musicaviva.com.au 1800 688 482
As Australia’s flagship music education and non-profit touring company, we continuously strive to provide more for all music lovers – more music education and teacher professional development opportunities to help feed young imaginations everywhere; more exceptional artists on stage performing on metropolitan and regional stages and online to bring audiences together across the country; and more creative projects to promote a continuously evolving and vibrant music sector.
Help us to continue to keep doing more so that everyone, regardless of age, location or circumstance, can access and share the very best live music.
For more information contact our Individual Giving Manager: Caroline Davis, cdavis@musicaviva.com.au
