Among the Birds and the Trees

ADAM WALKER, TIMOTHY RIDOUT & ANNELEEN LENAERTS

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.

AMONG THE BIRDS AND THE TREES

ADAM WALKER flute

TIMOTHY RIDOUT viola

ANNELEEN LENAERTS harp

ADELAIDE

Adelaide Town Hall

Wednesday 26 April, 7.30pm

• Pre-concert talk: 6.45pm, Prince Alfred Room

BRISBANE

Conservatorium Theatre, Griffith University, South Bank

Wednesday 3 May, 7pm

• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm, Boardroom, Qld Conservatorium, Griffith University

• Meet the Artists after the concert

CANBERRA

Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music

Thursday 11 May, 7pm

• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm, Larry Sitsky Room

MELBOURNE

Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre

Saturday 29 April, 7pm

• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm, Salzer Suite, Level 2

Tuesday 9 May, 7pm

• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm, Salzer Suite, Level 2

• Meet the Artists after the concert

NEWCASTLE City Hall

Thursday 4 May, 7.30pm

• Pre-concert talk: 6.45pm, Mulubinba Room

PERTH

Perth Concert Hall

Sunday 14 May, 6.30pm

• Pre-concert talk: 5.45pm, Corner Stage Riverside, Terrace Level

• Meet the Artists after the concert

SYDNEY

City Recital Hall

Monday 1 May, 7pm

Recorded for broadcast by ABC Classic

• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm, Function Room

• CD signing after the concert, Main Foyer

Sunday 7 May, 2pm

• Pre-concert talk: 1.15pm, Function Room

• Meet the Artists after the concert, Concert Hall

With special thanks to the Producers’ Circle and Amadeus Society for their support of the 2023 Concert Season.

From the Artistic Director

‘Among the birds and the trees’ is the space Claude Debussy thought he’d like to occupy after his death – a hat-tip to the final stanza of Paul Verlaine’s exquisite poem Clair de lune, which Debussy set numerous times, and which inspired his Suite bergamasque.

‘With the calm moonlight, sad and lovely, Which makes the birds dream in the trees, And the plumes of the fountains weep in ecstasy, The tall, slender plumes of the fountains among the marble sculptures.’

Undaunted by the thought of creating his own marble sculptures – the slender plumes of which changed the sound of the 20th century – Debussy in 1915 composed his Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. His confrère Théodore Dubois had landed on this same combination of instruments ten years earlier, yet Debussy made it his own, setting down a great marker for the composers who followed him, Takemitsu and Gubaidulina among them.

It’s a particular pleasure to build this program around Adam Walker, whom I first heard when he auditioned for the Young Classical Artists Trust in London as a teenager, a few years before he was appointed Principal Flute in the London Symphony Orchestra. His playing knocked me sideways then and continues to do so today. His answer to my question about potential collaborators was instant and heartfelt and it is thus a joy to welcome Timothy Ridout and Anneleen Lenaerts to Australia in this miraculous program.

Paul Kildea Artistic Director Musica Viva Australia

George BENJAMIN (b 1960)

Flight for solo flute (1979) 8 min

Claude DEBUSSY (1862–1918)

Estampes, L. 100 (1903) 5 min

III Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain)

Georg Philipp TELEMANN (1681–1767)

Fantasia No. 7 in E-flat major, TWV 40:20, for solo viola (1735) 7 min

Sofia GUBAIDULINA (b 1931)

The Garden of Joy and Sorrow (1980)

INTERVAL

Olivier MESSIAEN (1908–1992)

Le Merle noir (The Blackbird) (1952)

Tōru TAKEMITSU (1930–1996)

And then I knew ‘twas Wind (1992)

Claude DEBUSSY

Suite bergamasque, L. 75 (1905)

III Clair de lune (Moonlight)

Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, L. 137 (1915)

I Pastorale

II Interlude

III Finale

Please ensure that mobile phones are turned to silent before the performance. Flash photography is not permitted during the performance.

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Performing nationally in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Sydney.

Garrick Ohlsson

Chopin’s Piano

Silk, Metal, Wood

Vision String Quartet

Wildschut & Brauss

3–9 July: Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition 2023

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1800 688 482

Masterclasses

Come behind the scenes with Musica Viva Australia as Australian and internationally acclaimed artists share their experience and expertise with talented early-career artists and young music students, creating an enriching learning experience.

As part of this tour the following masterclasses are presented:

ADAM WALKER

• Thursday 27 April

Elder Conservatorium

Adelaide

• Tuesday 2 May

Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University

Brisbane

• Monday 8 May (closed to public)

Monash University

Melbourne

• Monday 15 May

University of Western Australia

Perth

TIMOTHY RIDOUT

• Tuesday 2 May (closed to public) Conservatorium of Music

Sydney

• Monday 8 May

Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM)

Melbourne

ANNELEEN LENAERTS

• Friday 5 May (closed to public) Conservatorium of Music

Sydney

Musica Viva Australia’s Masterclass program is supported by: Nicholas Callinan AO & Elizabeth Callinan, Caroline & Robert Clemente, Ian Frazer AM & Caroline Frazer, Patricia H Reid Endowment Fund, Andrew Sisson AO & Tracey Sisson, Mick & Margaret Toller, Anonymous (2)

Musica Viva Australia Masterclasses in Western Australia are supported by Wesfarmers Arts.

Above: Kristian Winther at ANAM, Melbourne

Below:

Signum Saxophone Quartet in Dubbo, NSW

© Sean Moloney, MVA

© James Grant

Adam Walker

At the forefront of a new generation of wind soloists, Adam Walker is a leading ambassador for the flute with a ferocious appetite for repertoire and a curious and creative approach to programming. He has given world premieres of concertos by composers including Brett Dean, Kevin Puts and Huw Watkins as well as championing works by Kaija Saariaho, John Corigliano and Mieczysław Weinberg.

As a soloist Adam regularly performs with the major UK orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, London Symphony Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Sinfonia of London. Further afield he has performed with the Baltimore, Seattle, Malmö and Luxembourg Symphony Orchestras, RTE National Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestras of Mexico and India, the Seoul, Malaysian, Tampere and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestras, Auckland Philharmonia, Vienna Chamber Orchestra and Les Solistes Européens.

A committed chamber musician with an open and collaborative style, Adam has in recent seasons made appearances at the BBC Chamber Proms, Wigmore Hall, LSO St Luke’s, De Singel Antwerp, Musée du Louvre, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Frankfurt Alte

Oper and the Utrecht, West Cork, Delft and Moritzburg Chamber Music Festivals. Recent collaborators include Tabea Zimmermann, Cédric Tiberghien, Angela Hewitt, Mahan Esfahani, Ailish Tynan, James Baillieu and Sean Shibe. Adam is an alumnus of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program and in 2018 he founded the Orsino Ensemble, an ensemble with a mission to showcase the depth and versatility of the wind chamber repertoire.

Adam’s solo discography includes French Works for Flute (Chandos), Vocalise (Opus Arte), Kevin Puts’ Flute Concerto with Marin Alsop and the Peabody Institute (Naxos) and the Huw Watkins Concerto with the Hallé Orchestra and Ryan Wigglesworth (NMC). He also appears with the Orsino Ensemble on the Chandos disc Belle Époque.

Adam studied at Chetham’s School of Music with Gitte Sorensen and at the Royal Academy of Music with Michael Cox, graduating with distinction in 2009. He was appointed Principal Flute of the London Symphony Orchestra at the age of just 21, a position he held until 2020. His many awards include the Outstanding Young Artist award at the MIDEM Classical Awards as well as a Borletti–Buitoni Trust Fellowship. He was appointed professor at the Royal College of Music in 2017 and at the Bern Academy of the Arts in 2022.

flute © Christa Holka

A BBC New Generation Artist and Borletti–Buitoni Trust Fellow, Timothy Ridout is one of the most sought-after violists of his generation. In recent months he has appeared with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Symphony San José and Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, given recitals and chamber concerts at the Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Philharmonie Köln, as well as a concert series in Taipei, and toured South America with the Chamber Society of the Lincoln Center.

Timothy has performed with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Hamburg Symphonic Orchestra, Paris and Lausanne Chamber Orchestras, Orchestre National de Lille, Camerata Salzburg, Graz Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, BBC Symphony and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras and the Philharmonia Orchestra. He has performed the Walton Viola Concerto at the BBC Proms with Sakari Oramo, and with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under David Zinman. He has also worked with conductors including Christoph Eschenbach, Lionel Bringuier, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Sylvain Cambreling, Nicholas Collon and Sir András Schiff.

As a chamber musician, Timothy has taken part in numerous festivals across Europe, including Rheingau, Bergen, Rosendal,

viola

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sion and Lockenhaus, and regularly collaborates with leading international artists including Janine Jansen, Steven Isserlis, Joshua Bell, Isabelle Faust, Kian Soltani, Benjamin Grosvenor, Nicolas Altstaedt and Christian Tetzlaff.

Timothy records for the Harmonia Mundi label, where his latest album, A Poet’s Love, recorded with pianist Frank Dupree, features selections from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet and the two artists’ own transcription of Schumann’s Dichterliebe. Other recent releases include Berlioz’ Harold in Italy with the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra under John Nelson (Warner/Erato), and Bloch’s Suite for Viola and Orchestra and the Elgar Viola Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins (Harmonia Mundi).

Born in London, Timothy studied at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating with the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence. He completed his Masters in 2019 with Nobuko Imai at the Kronberg Academy, where he also took part in the Chamber Music Connects the World program. In 2020, he won the Hamburg Symphony’s inaugural Sir Jeffrey Tate Prize, and he joined the Bowers Program of the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center in 2021.

Timothy plays on a viola by Peregrino di Zanetto, c.1565–75, on loan from a generous patron of Beare’s International Violin Society.

© Jiyang Chen

Anneleen Lenaerts

Belgian harpist Anneleen Lenaerts is one of the leading soloists of her instrument. In December 2010 she was appointed Principal Harpist of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, and she became a member of the Vienna Philharmonic in 2014.

As a soloist Anneleen has performed with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchestra, Bruckner Orchestra Linz, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Polish National Radio Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic and the National Orchestra of Belgium, amongst others.

Anneleen has appeared in recitals at venues such as the Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, Salle Gaveau in Paris, Großes Festspielhaus in Salzburg and Bozar in Brussels, and at the Rheingau, Dresden, Lockenhaus, Moritzburg and Aspen Music Festivals, among others. Her solo appearances have been recorded by various stations including BBC 3, Radio France Musique and Deutschlandfunk.

From an early age Anneleen started winning an impressive number of prizes at international harp competitions: 23 prizes between 1997 and 2009. These include the Grand Prix International Lily Laskine, where she won the first prize in 2005, and

the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, where she was both a prize-winner and winner of the Audience Prize. In 2011 Aliud Records released her solo album of harp transcriptions of popular piano pieces by Chopin and Liszt. That was followed by two highly successful albums for Warner Classics – harp concertos by Glière, Rodrigo and Jongen with the Brussels Philharmonic, and works by Schumann and Schubert with clarinettist Dionysis Grammenos – which led to an exclusive recording contract with the label. Her 2019 recording of works for harp by Nino Rota, with Emmanuel Pahud and the Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Adrien Perruchon, won an Opus Klassik award. That same year she was also honoured by the Government of Flanders for her outstanding contribution to Flemish society.

Anneleen started playing the harp with Lieve Robbroeckx. She continued her studies at the Conservatories of Brussels and Paris in 2008 and gained her Master’s degree in Harp with highest distinction. She completed the Cours de perfectionnement at the École Normale de Musique in Paris with Isabelle Perrin. Anneleen teaches at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, and is a Faculty Member of the Aspen Music Festival in the USA.

Anneleen Lenaerts’ earrings are courtesy of keiko-jewellery.com

harp

© Andrej Grilc

About the music

George Benjamin is a British composer, pianist and conductor. He was one of the youngest ever composers to have a work performed at The Proms, and in recent years has become known for several successful operas. Flight for solo flute is an early work, composed in 1979, and was first performed in 1980 by David Lodeon for Radio France. The composer has said that the work was inspired by ‘the sight of birds soaring and dipping over the peaks of the Swiss Alps’, but that he was also concerned to create a satisfactory dramatic structure using the limited resources of a single melody-line instrument. The piece is physically demanding to play and exploits the extreme limits of the instrument’s capabilities, but ultimately conveys a mood of joyful exuberance.

harp). This work attracted much admiration at its first performance, and is significant for its move away from the predominant Romantic style of the late 19th century, towards a more delicate technique and an emphasis on the evocation of moods and scenes through the use of non-traditional scales and harmonies. Estampes is among those works of Debussy that may most appropriately be described as ‘Impressionist’ – a label frequently applied to the music of composers such as Debussy and Ravel, by analogy with the Impressionist painters, although with varying degrees of justification. (Debussy himself rejected the term). The title Estampes, meaning ‘prints’, certainly invites an association with the visual arts, and each movement vividly depicts a particular scene or landscape. Jardins sous la pluie is believed to have been inspired by a violent rainstorm experienced by Debussy during a visit to Normandy. Musical effects depicting wind and rain are interwoven with the melodies of two French folk songs, Nous n’irons plus aux bois and Dodo, l’enfant do

Jardins sous la pluie (‘Gardens in the Rain’) is the final movement from French composer Claude Debussy’s set of three pieces for piano, Estampes, published in 1903 (played here on

The 18th-century German composer Georg Philipp Telemann was one of the most respected musicians of his time and is renowned today as one of the most prolific of all composers, with some 3,000 works to his name, of every conceivable vocal and instrumental genre. A multi-instrumentalist himself, his collections of fantasias for solo

instruments, including for flute, violin and harpsichord, are among his most admired and imaginative instrumental works. The Twelve Fantasias for solo violin were composed in 1735 in Hamburg, where Telemann was employed for the latter half of his life as the director of music at five of the city’s most important churches, and were published by his own publishing house. The title ‘fantasia’ implies a composition without a strict formal structure. The Fantasia No. 7 in E-flat major, performed here on viola, consists of three short sections of contrasting character.

The title comes from lines by Russian writer Iv Oganov, referring to the work of 18th-century Armenian poet Sayat Nova, which invoke images of an exotic garden. Gubaidulina says that she was compelled to create ‘a concrete aural perception of this garden’. The score also invites a recitation ‘ad lib’ of an unrelated poem by modern German poet Francisco Tanzer. The composer has written that she was drawn to this poem for its reflections on ‘the world and its wholeness’, and that she sought through musical means to highlight the similarities between the two texts, despite their ‘contradictory’ Eastern and Western sensibilities.

Sofia Gubaidulina was born in Soviet Russia and received her musical education during the post-war period, when ‘degenerate’ contemporary Western music was largely outlawed by the Soviet regime. She managed to develop a unique modernist style, secretly accessing forbidden scores and receiving encouragement from established composers such as Shostakovich, but was blacklisted for much of her career. Since contact with the West became more possible, Gubaidulina has earned an international reputation and has been commissioned by many of the world’s leading orchestras.

Interested in spiritual ideas from a young age, Gubaidulina developed a concept of music as a vehicle for transcendence, and her music is loaded with mystical and symbolic elements. She has also long been preoccupied with non-traditional means of sound production and unusual instrumental combinations. These interests are apparent in The Garden of Joy and Sorrow, composed in 1980. Predominantly contemplative in tone, the work is inspired by two literary sources.

French composer, organist and teacher Olivier Messiaen influenced a generation of composers with his unique harmonic and rhythmic language. Le Merle noir (‘The Blackbird’), for flute and piano, was composed in 1952 as a test piece for the Premier Prix examinations at the Paris Conservatoire, joining a long list of significant flute works created for that purpose. Messiaen’s music reflects his deeply felt Catholic spirituality, and he frequently drew on birdsong as a major source of inspiration, believing that the natural music of birds offered a direct link to the divine. The work alternates cadenzas for the flute, based on the blackbird’s song, with static, crystalline melodic passages, and ends with a brilliantly virtuosic display by both instruments.

Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu stands out as one of the most distinctive compositional voices of the late 20th century, and is credited with achieving a synthesis of Japanese musical

© DSmirnov

aesthetics with Western art music. And then I knew ’twas Wind was commissioned in 1992 by Swiss flautist Aurèle Nicolet, who sought a new work that could be performed together with Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp. Takemitsu identified Debussy as a significant influence, and while direct links between the works are not obvious, a brief quotation suggests that Takemitsu intended his work to be heard as a personal homage to Debussy’s sonata. There are strong affinities in the work’s exploitation of subtle instrumental colour, and parallels with the fragmentary structure and languid melodic lines of certain other works by Debussy, such as Prélude à ‘L’après-midi d’un faune’ and the ballet Jeux.

The work takes its title from a poem by Emily Dickinson, the meaning of which is rather obscure; however, comments by Takemitsu himself suggest a reference to the interconnectedness of wind, breath and spirit. Such a theme is typical of Takemitsu’s preoccupation with music as a means of forming a bridge between the natural world and subjective human experience. Takemitsu was fond of musical ciphers, or short musical ideas that he invested with personal symbolic meaning, so it is noteworthy that he used a prominent melody from the latter part of the work in another wind-related work, How Slow the Wind, which also derives its title from an Emily Dickinson poem.

composer for publication in 1905, to reflect the maturation of his style. The title Clair de lune (originally to be called Promenade sentimentale in an earlier version) was inspired by a poem of the same name by Paul Verlaine, which evokes a scene of a moonlit masked ball, and describes ‘the calm moonlight, sad and beautiful’. Debussy derived the title of the suite from the poem’s reference to ‘bergamasques’, a type of rustic dance thought to have originated in Bergamo in Italy, which is also associated with the characters of the commedia dell’arte tradition. This poem evidently held strong appeal for Debussy, since he composed two settings of the same text for voice and piano.

Among Claude Debussy’s final works are three sonatas for different instrumental combinations, part of an intended set of six of which the remainder were never completed. Composed during the First World War, these sonatas were partly intended as an expression of Debussy’s French patriotism, in their pointed rejection of Germanic grandeur and excess (and especially of the influence of the music of Wagner) in favour of the elegance and clarity of earlier French composers, such as Rameau and Couperin.

The Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, written in 1915, was one of the first pieces to employ its unusual instrumental combination, although many composers since have imitated it. This three-movement work shares with the other sonatas in the set an improvisatory quality, a lightness of touch and a pervasive air of melancholy that is perhaps indicative of Debussy’s state of mind at the time. He was not only distressed at the tragic effects of the war, but was also experiencing considerable suffering from the cancer that would cause his death a few years later. After first hearing the sonata performed, Debussy expressed his own somewhat ambivalent response to the work’s mood in a letter to his friend Robert Godet:

Claude Debussy’s Clair de lune (‘Moonlight’), the third movement of his four-movement Suite bergamasque for piano, is undoubtedly his best-known work. The suite was originally composed around 1890, when Debussy was in his 20s, but was substantially revised by the

‘It’s terribly sad, and I don’t know whether one ought to laugh at it, or cry? Perhaps both?’

PHILIP MURRAY © 2023

Meet the Artists

BY SASCHA KELLY

The scene is the West Cork Chamber Music Festival in Ireland, six or seven years ago. It’s there that two of our performers – flautist Adam Walker and violist Timothy Ridout –worked together for the first time as musical peers, both members of a scratch trio performing Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp.

Adam recalls his first impressions of Timothy and his capabilities. ‘He was quite young at the time…’ (There’s a slight interruption to remember Timothy is still quite young – he’s only just turned 28.) Adam then continues, ‘I remember thinking “Wow, he’s already incredible, he’s going to be…”’ At this point Adam makes an affectionate growling sound. It perfectly conveys both irritation and genuine affection for a colleague that you both admire and envy for their talent. ‘The thing about Timothy is that he’s a genuine person too, and lots of fun to hang out with. It’s not often someone’s not only amazingly talented, but a lovely person.’

In the years following, Timothy has collected many awards, supporting Walker’s initial suspicions, that he was indeed, immensely talented. In 2016, he was awarded First Prize in the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, the first British violist to win the podium place since the competition was established in 1980. Most recently, in March of this year, he was awarded the Young Artist Award at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.

His fellow instrumentalists for this tour are equally prodigious. Adam was appointed Principal Flute of the London Symphony

Orchestra at the age of 21, has performed as a soloist with many top orchestras, and received the 2009 Outstanding Young Artist award at MIDEM Classique. Harpist Anneleen Lenaerts won a total of 23 international harp competitions between 1997 and 2009. She has appeared at venues such as Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York, and the Berliner Philharmonie, and at the age of 23, was appointed Principal Harp of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, leading to a place with the Vienna Philharmonic three years later. All three players balance busy portfolio performing careers – equally at home as soloists, orchestral players or chamber musicians.

At some point in their busy schedules, Anneleen and Adam both accepted an invitation to perform chamber music. Adam says he ‘fell in love with her playing’. When he and Timothy were planning a concert at the Louvre in Paris he invited Anneleen to join them.

Once again, the centrepiece of that program was Debussy’s quintessential Impressionist work – his Sonata for Flute, Harp and Viola –finished very close to the end of Debussy’s life, written amidst a worldwide conflict. Each has very different reflections on their love of the piece.

For Timothy, the piece is especially captivating during the rehearsal process. He explains, ‘It never clicks straight away – it makes it almost more beautiful. And although it was the end of his life as a composer, I think it’s almost experimental,’ he says.

Adam agrees. He adds, ‘At the time it would have been a very new sound – this combination of instruments was something that wasn’t put together. There’s an organic feeling with the timbre. It’s not this meat-and-potato sandwiched texture. The possibilities are more ethereal, transparent, and somehow arcadian. There’s a simplistic nature to these instruments that takes a listener back to a far-gone time. I think Debussy is a genius because he would have known that.’

Duality is further explored as a thread throughout the program. Adam elaborates, ‘The main theme of this concert is the relationship of the human mind and nature –and how nature and the unconscious mind mix. All the trio pieces on this program have that as very strong influence and inspiration. There’s also so much inspiration from literature in this program. Takemitsu takes inspiration from an Emily Dickinson poem – Like Rain it sounded till it curved / and then I knew ’twas Wind.’ He also recounts that Gubaidulina’s Garden of Joy and Sorrow is strongly influenced by two directly contradictory and juxtaposing literary influences.

The ensemble works will explore the texture of this instrumentation. Timothy thinks audiences will revel in the unusual sound world: ‘The diction is very clear, it’s not a homogenous chord as in a string quartet – it no longer washes together.’

During the program, each musician will have a solo work to demonstrate their independent virtuosic capabilities. Adam explains, ‘These solo moments will add a freshness. They’ll highlight each individual player as well –allowing the listener to put the sounds together in a different way after hearing the tones individually.’

Timothy is borrowing a work from the violinist’s canon, and will be performing Telemann’s Fantasia No. 7 in E-flat major. He enjoys stealing works from his fellow musicians’ repertoire. He says it’s actually one of his favourite things about the viola.

‘In Classical and Romantic music, you’re often in the heart of the musical texture and it’s a fascinating sound world to be a part of. But in a solo capacity, it’s equally fascinating because you can straddle this tenor, alto, soprano –even the high bass roles too. You can find all these colours – and I think this makes you very interesting for composers.’

Timothy is also looking forward to exploring the colours of our country, on his first trip to Australia. ‘There’s so much that I’m looking forward to. I’m so excited to see the landscape of Australia – the cities and the beaches.’ A devoted food and wine connoisseur, he’s keen to try an Australian BBQ. ‘During the pandemic, I bought myself a gas grill and started watching loads of Australian videos online for BBQ tips.’

A love of Australian hospitality is something Adam shares. It’s his third trip to Australia, and he’s thrilled to be returning. ‘I love Australia’s take on Asian food – I cannot wait to eat that again. Then there’s Melbourne for coffee, and the chance to experience new places I haven’t been to before. I just can’t wait to enjoy the hospitality in Australia – people are so welcoming and fun.’

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Patrons

CUSTODIANS

ACT Margaret Brennan, Clive & Lynlea Rodger, Ruth Weaver, Anonymous (4)

NSW Catherine Brown-Watt PSM & Derek Watt, Jennifer Bott AO, 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 (4)

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)

LEGACY DONORS

ACT The late Geoffrey Brennan

NSW The late Charles Berg, The late Stephen Center, 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

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

WA Anonymous

ENSEMBLE PATRONS

Our artistic vision for 2023 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 2023 Season.

Ian & Caroline Frazer (Karin Schaupp & Flinders Quartet)

Ian Dickson AM & Reg Holloway and Anonymous (The Cage Project)

Stephen & Michele Johns & Anonymous (Chopin’s Piano) Eleanore Goodridge OAM (Wildschut & Brauss)

CONCERT CHAMPIONS

The mainstage concerts of our 2023 Season are brought to life thanks to the generosity of our Concert Champions around the country.

Adelaide Helen Bennetts & Tim Lloyd, The late Lesley Lynn, Dr Susan Marsden & Michael Szwarcbord, Leonie Schmidt & Michael Davis, Colin Telfer & Alison McDougall, Anonymous

Brisbane Ian & Cass George, Andrea & Malcolm Hall-Brown, Andrew & Kate Lister, Barry & Diana Moore, Anonymous (2)

Canberra Andrew Blanckensee Music Lover, Humphries Family Trust, Malcolm Gillies & David Pear in memory of Stewart Gillies; Claudia Hyles, Margaret Lovell & Grant Webeck, Ruth Weaver & Anonymous; Dr Suzanne Packer, Sue Terry & Len Whyte, Anonymous

Melbourne Alexandra Clemens & Bibi Aickin, Penelope Hughes, Peter Lovell, The Morawetz Family in memory of Paul Morawetz, Dr John Tang, Dr Michael Troy, Ray Turner & Jennifer Seabrook, The late Dr G D Watson, Dr Victor Wayne & Dr Karen Wayne OAM

Newcastle Judith Bennett, Gabrielle Bookallil, Megan & Bill Williamson

Perth Dr Robert Larbalestier AO, Deborah Lehmann AO & Michael Alpers AO, Prichard Panizza Family (2), For Stephanie Quinlan (2), Valerie & Michael Wishart

Sydney Judith Bennett, 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, Tribe Family, Kay Vernon, Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey (2)

PRODUCERS’ CIRCLE

Darin Cooper Foundation, Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann

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, Dr Helen Ferguson, Ms Annabella Fletcher, Dr Annette Gero, Katherine & Reg Grinberg, Jennifer Hershon & Russell Black, Penelope Hughes, Michael & Frederique Katz, Ruth Magid & Bob Magid OAM, Dr Hadia Mukhtar, Prof. John Rickard, Andrew Rosenberg, Ray Wilson OAM

MASTERCLASSES GIVING CIRCLE

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, Patricia H. Reid Endowment Fund, Andrew Sisson AO & Tracey Sisson, Mick and Margaret Toller, Anonymous (1)

COMMISSIONS

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, The Barry Jones Birthday Commission, DR & KM Magarey, Naomi Milgrom Foundation & Ian Dickson AM & Reg Holloway, Playking Foundation, Tribe Family in honour of Doug Tribe’s 75th Birthday, Adelaide Commissioning Circle, Perth Commissioning Circle

The Barry Jones Birthday Commission ($500+)

Steve Bracks AC & Terry Bracks AM, Dr George Deutsch

OAM & Kathy Deutsch, Carrillo Gantner, Professor Margaret Gardner AC & Professor Glyn Davis AC, Naomi & George Golvan QC, Hon David Harper AM, Ellen Koshland & James McCaughey, Miles Lewis, Julie & Ian Macphee, Barry McGaw, Jeannette McHugh, Fiona McLeod AO SC, Peter & Ruth McMullin, 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)

MAJOR GIFTS

$100,000+

NSW The Berg Family Foundation, Patricia H. Reid Endowment Fund, Anonymous

$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 Gardos Family, Gresham Partners, Hilmer Family Endowment, Anthony Strachan, Jo Strutt, Ray Wilson OAM

QLD Anonymous

SA Stoneglen Foundation, Anonymous

VIC Roger Druce & Jane Bentley, Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann, Monica Lim & Konfir Kabo, Peter Lovell, Mercer Family Foundation, Marjorie Nicholas OAM

WA Team Legacy, Deborah Lehmann AO & Michael Alpers AO

$5,000–$9,999

ACT Goodwin Crace Concertgoers, Craig Reynolds, Sue Terry & Len Whyte

NSW Christine Bishop, Patricia Crummer, Sarah & Tony Falzarano, Mrs W G Keighley, DR & KM Magarey, Hywel Sims, David & Carole Singer, Diane Sturrock, Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey

QLD Andrew & Kate Lister

SA Aldridge Family Endowment, Anonymous (1)

VIC In memory of Kate Boyce, William J Forrest AM, Doug Hooley, Andrew Johnston, Joy Selby Smith, Greg Shalit & Miriam Faine, Anonymous

WA Zoe Lenard & Hamish Milne, Anonymous (2)

ANNUAL GIFTS

$2,500–$4,999

ACT Kristin van Brunschot & John Holliday, Dr Andrew Singer, Anonymous

NSW ADFAS Newcastle, Penny Beran, Susan Burns

QLD Greyhound Australia

SA DJ & EM Bleby

VIC Jan Begg, Alastair & Sue Campbell, Anne Frankenberg & Adrian McEniery, Lyndsey & Peter Hawkins, Ralph & Ruth Renard, Maria Sola, Lyn Williams, Igor Zambelli

WA Ros Kesteven, 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, Malcolm Gillies AM, Kingsley Herbert, Margaret & Peter Janssens, Margaret Oates, S Packer, Clive & Lynlea Rodger, Hannah Semler, Anonymous (3)

NSW Judith Allen, David & Rae Allen, Maia Ambegaokar & Joshua Bishop, Stephen Booth, Jennifer Bott AO & Harley Harwood, Vicki Brooke, Neil Burns, Hugh and Hilary Cairns, Hon J C Campbell QC & Mrs Campbell, Lloyd & Mary Jo Capps AM, Opus 109 Sub-fund, Community Impact Foundation, Robin & Wendy Cumming, Thomas Dent, Nancy Fox AM and Bruce Arnold, John & Irene Garran, H2 Cairns Foundation, Robert & Lindy Henderson, Lybus Hillman, Dr Ailsa Hocking & Dr Bernard Williams, Dorothy Hoddinott AO, Catharine & Robert Kench, Kevin & Deidre McCann, DR & KM Magarey, Arthur & Elfreda Marshall, Dr Dennis Mather & John Studdert, Mora Maxwell, Michael & Janet Neustein, Paul O’Donnell, Laurie Orchard, Ms Vivienne Sharpe, Dr Robyn Smiles, Tom & Dalia Stanley, Geoff Stearn, Richard & Beverley Taperell, Graham & Judy Tribe, John & Flora Weickhardt, Richard Wilkins, Megan & Bill Williamson, Anonymous (5)

QLD George Booker & Denise Bond, Prof. Paul & Ann Crook, Robin Harvey, Lynn & John Kelly, Jocelyn Luck, Barry & Diana Moore, Keith Moore, Debra & Patrick Mullins, Barbara Williams & Jankees van der Have, Anonymous (2)

SA Ivan & Joan Blanchard, Richard Blomfield, Max & Ionie Brennan, Joan Lyons, Fiona MacLachlan OAM, Dr Leo Mahar, Geoff & Sorayya Martin, Ann & David Matison, Diane Myers, Anne Sutcliffe, Anonymous

TAS Dianne O’Toole

VIC Joanna Baevski, Russ & Jacqui Bate, Marlyn Bancroft, Alison & John Cameron, Alex & Elizabeth Chernov, Lord Ebury, Dr Gelnys & Dr Alan French, Virginia Henry, Helen Imber, Angela Kayser, Angela & Richard Kirsner, Janet McDonald, Ruth McNair AM & Rhonda Brown in memory of Patricia Begg & David McNair, June K Marks, Christopher Menz & Peter Rose, Traudl Moon OAM, Adrian Nye, Barry Robbins, Murray Sandland,

Marshall Segan & Ylana Perlov in memory of his late parents, 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 (2)

WA David & Minnette Ambrose, Dr S Cherian, Michael & Wendy Davis, In memory of Raymond Dudley, Dr Penny Herbert in memory of Dunstan Herbert, Ms Helen Hollingshead, Anne Last & Steve Scudamore, Hugh & Margaret Lydon, Olivier David & Dr Bennie Ng, Marian Magee & David Castillo, John Overton, Margaret & Roger Seares, Vivienne Stewart, Robyn Tamke, Anonymous (4)

$500–$999

ACT Geoffrey & Margaret Brennan, Christopher Clarke, Peter Cumines, Susan Edmondson, Jill Fleming, Claudia Hyles OAM, Margaret Millard, Helen Rankin, Dr Paul & Dr Lel Whitbread, Anonymous (2)

NSW Denise Braggett, Christopher & Margaret Burrell, Robert Cahill and Anne Cahill OAM, Lucia Cascone, Trish & John Curotta, Dr Arno Enno & Dr Anna Enno, Anthony Gregg, The Harvey Family, Roland & Margaret Hicks, David & Sarah Howell, Alicia Howlett, In honour of Michael Katz, Cynthia Kaye, KP Kemp, Mathilde Kearny-Kibble, Dr Colin MacArthur, Robert McDougall, Ian & Pam McGaw, Frances Muecke, Kim & Margie Ostinga, Dr John Rogers, Penny Rogers, Peter & Heather Roland, Professor Lynne Selwood, Kathie & Reg Grinberg - In honour of Dalia Stanley’s birthday, Andrew Wells AM, Anonymous (7)

QLD Geoffrey Beames, Janet Franklin, Timothy Matthies & Chris Bonnily

SA Zoë Cobden-Jewitt & Peter Jewitt, Daniel & Susan Hains, Elizabeth Ho OAM, in honour of the late Tom Steel, Dr Iwan Jensen, Helga Linnert & Douglas Ransom, Julie Mencel & Michael McKay, Tony Seymour, Anonymous (5)

TAS Anonymous

VIC David Bernshaw & Caroline Isakow, Pam Caldwell, John & Mandy Collins, John & Chris Collingwood, Mary-Jane Gething, John & Margaret Harrison, Eda Ritchie AM, Maureen Turner, Anonymous (4)

WA Jennifer Butement, Joan Carney, Fred & Angela Chaney, Rachel & Bruce Craven, Rodney Constantine, Helen Dwyer, Dr Barry Green, Paula Nathan AO & Yvonne Patterson, Lindsay & Suzanne Silbert, Father Richard Smith, Ruth Stratton, Christopher Tyler, Anonymous (5)

Government Partners

Emerging Artists Partners

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).

Musica Viva Australia is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.

National Education Supporters

J A Donald Family

Marion & Mike Newman

Musica Viva Australia In Schools & Professional Development

• Aldridge Family Endowment

• Keith MacKenzie Will Trust

• Godfrey Turner Memorial Music Trust

• Margaret Henderson Music Trust

• Perpetual Foundation - Alan (AGL) Shaw Endowment

National Music Residency Program

• In Memory of Anita Morawetz

• Marsden Szwarcbord Foundation

• Scully Foundation

The Benjamin Fund Day Family Foundation

The Marion & E.H. Flack Trust

• Aldridge Family Endowment

• John & Rosemary McLeod

• Lipman Karas

• Carthew Foundation

• Joy Selby Smith

• Foskett Foundation

• Klein Foundation

• Seeley International

• FWH Foundation

• Legacy Unit Trust

• Anonymous Donors (3)

BY VITA DALEY

FLYING INTO MELBOURNE FOR A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME COMPETITION

This July, 14 of the best young chamber ensembles from around the world (including Australia’s own Affinity Quartet) will come together for the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition (MICMC). Launched in 1991, and held every four years, MICMC has been a career-launching platform for winners such as the Vertavo Quartet (2011), Eggner Trio (2015) and St Lawrence String Quartet (2018). With a prize of over $150,000, MICMC is open to string quartets and piano trios of all nationalities under the age of 35.

But how will their valuable instruments get here?

Professional musicians face many problems when they travel with their most treasured assets. It is all too easy for these delicate and irreplaceable tools, which often come with centuries of history, to be damaged in transit. These risks affect how artists weigh the pros and cons of touring to places like Australia.

Due to their size, cellos can’t be carried on as hand luggage. The alternative of putting them in a flight case in the hold and risking rough treatment by handlers is often unacceptable. Consequently the only choice for many cellists is to purchase an additional seat for their beloved instrument. For cellists, travel is expensive, a cost that many artists struggle to afford early in their career.

That’s where our generous Cello Champions can come to the rescue. This campaign aims to raise enough funds to cover the cost of cello transportation to and from MICMC, allowing more young musicians to participate and bring their music to you.

‘We know that instrument transportation can be a major obstacle for musicians who want to travel for performance opportunities,’ says Anne Frankenberg, CEO of Musica Viva Australia. ‘We are thrilled to be launching the Cello Champion campaign so that we can bring the world’s best young chamber musicians together in Melbourne.’

This issue has resonated with supporters across the country who have experienced the challenges of travelling with cellos themselves. ’I have always loved the cello, and know the difficulties of transporting these large, delicate instruments,’ says Jenny Donald, NSW. ‘My daughter started learning the cello at the age of seven. So I did a lot of cello transport. I remember taking a full-size cello case when shopping for a new car to make sure it would fit along with two children and their school bags, to the bemusement of the car salesmen.’

As she often accompanied her daughter on tour, Jenny has first-hand recollections of the challenges faced by cellists. ‘I have very vivid memories of struggling with cellos in the snow and ice, and of cellos occupying seats in the bus as they couldn’t go in the luggage compartment because of the cold.’

MVA FutureMaker Daniel Smith says, ‘One of my favourite aspects of being a musician has become international travel; exploring new cities and bringing your hard work to showcase it to a new audience and meeting new people, some of whom will be lifelong mentors and friends.’ While playing in youth orchestra programs, his cello had to be stored in the hold. While Dan’s cello came out physically unscathed, he talks of watching his cello fall ungracefully onto the tarmac, and friends’ instruments coming back with gigantic holes and snapped necks.

He continues, ‘The stress caused by not knowing how your priceless instrument is faring in transit is one of the worst feelings. For my latest international trip, with the generous support of Musica Viva Australia, the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Curtis

Institute in Philadelphia, I was very privileged to have my cello beside me the whole way, providing me with peace of mind to ensure I performed at my best ability at the other end. This isn’t always financially viable for cellists to do alone – and I certainly couldn’t have done it, without this generous accident-proofing support.’

For artists, their instruments are not just their livelihood, but an extension of their identities. We are sincerely grateful to our generous donors who understand this relationship that underpins the foundations of all the performances we will be privileged to witness in July during MICMC.

Packages and single tickets for MICMC are already on sale; book online at musicaviva.com.au/micmc

To become a Cello Champion, please contact Irene Ryder, Senior Development Manager, at iryder@musicaviva.com.au

Garrick Ohlsson

Garrick Ohlsson commands the piano like few others, playing it with authority, humility, a sense of discovery and deep commitment. His program will traverse favorites from Debussy, Chopin and Liszt, as well as a new commission from Australian composer Thomas Misson.

NATIONAL TOUR: 1 –19 JUNE

musicaviva.com.au/garrick-ohlsson

1800 688 482

THE AUSTRALIAN FESTIVAL OF CHAMBER MUSIC PRESENTS A STUNNING PROGRAM OF CONCERTS, WORLD PREMIERES AND SPECIAL EVENTS. MORE THAN 35 OF THE WORLD’S FINEST CLASSICAL MUSICIANS WILL PERFORM OVER 10 DAYS. CHOOSE FROM MORNING CONVERSATIONS, ONE-HOUR SUNSET CONCERTS, EVENING CONCERTS AND MORE. TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

MUSIC MORE

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 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, 04 2137 5358