Melbourne Chamber Orchestra

Under the artistic direction of William Hennessy, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra (MCO) has established itself as one of Australia’s finest musical assets. Founded in 1995, with a membership drawn from the local community of chamber and freelance musicians, MCO’s lively, vibrant and energetic interpretations of both core classical and new Australian works have contributed greatly towards establishing Melbourne as a centre of international musical significance. MCO presents an annual series of concerts in the world-renowned acoustic environment of the Melbourne Recital Centre as well as undertaking regular tours to regional areas. With a strong commitment to nurturing careers and developing of new talent, MCO also offers an annual music education program in selected Victorian regional centres. MCO’s repertoire focuses on baroque and classical music from the 18th century supplemented by appropriate works from the 19th and 20th century. With a core of eighteen string players, MCO’s membership is based on the younger generation of artists who have based themselves in Melbourne to further their careers as chamber and freelance players.

Bach Concerto for Piano & Orchestra in D minor ,BVW 1052 [18min],

Hill String Symphony "The Allies" [1921] [30min],

Beethoven Grosse Fuge Op.133 [17min],

BACH Concerto for Two Violins & Orchestra BWV 1043 [17min]

 

Grainger Quartet

Natsuko Yoshimoto – Violin Natsuko studied violin from the age of 11 at the YehudiA Menuhin School under Lord Menuhin and Wen Zhou Li. She received scholarships at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and won the Gold Medal on the 1994 Shell/London Symphony Orchestra.

James Cuddeford – Violin Brisbane-born James attended the Yehudi Menuhin School in England in his early teens, later studying at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. His principal teachers were Lord Menuhin, Wen Zhou Li and Gyorgy Kurtág. James has won numerous awards for both performance and composition including First Prize in the Charles Hennen International Chamber Music Competition in Holland.

Jeremy Williams – Viola Jeremy graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with distinction, where he studied with David Takeno before becoming the youngest violinist accepted by the London Symphony Orchestra. He has performed under conductors such as Abbado, Svetlanov, Previn and Celibidache and performed regularly with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and London Sinfonietta

Peter Rejto – Cello Peter has appeared as a soloist in hundreds of performances throughout the USA with the Los Angeles Piano Quartet of which he was a founding member. He has appeared in concerti with the Dallas and St. Louis Symphonies and toured through Venezuela, Brazil and Hong Kong with the Orquesta Filarmonica de Caracas and the California Chamber Symphony. Grainger Quartet Filmed in HDCAM [HD]

CONCERTS AVAILABLE: 1. Ford - A Reel, A Fling and a Ghostly Galliard WORLD PREMIERE 2. Shostakovich Quartet No.7 in F sharp minor Op 108 3. Haydn Quartet in B Flat major Opus 76 No.4 “Sunrise” 4. Turina - The Toreador’s Prayer Opus 34 5.Mendelssohn Quartet in D Major Op44 No.1

Molly at the shore 5min

Mendelsohhn 29min

Beethoven 33min

Brahms 36min

Janacek 58min

Haydn 25min ANAM

Barber 20min

 

Benaud Trio

These boys love cricket but they come on and they’re absolutely transformed, the music just takes over…I defy anybody to come into this hall this morning and hear those boys playing that Shostakovich and not become excited and moved and addicted to chamber music for the rest of their lives.’ William Lyne (Artistic director of Wigmore Hall, 1966-2002) –ABC Classic FM 02/07/05 The Benaud Trio rose to national prominence after winning the prestigious Piano Trio prize at the 2005 Australian Chamber Music Competition. The Benaud’s have been playing together in various duo and trio combinations over the last three years. The Trio members share many common interests including a love for chamber music, Chinese food and an eagerness to break out the cricket bat at any opportunity. Between them, the members of the Benaud Trio have accumulated an impressive number of chamber music awards and have studied with numerous prominent musicians and ensembles including: the Takacs Quartet, the Henschel Quartet, the Petersen Quartet, Mark Mogilevski, Marco van Pagee and William Hennessy. Benaud Trio Filmed in HDCAM [HD] All Broadcast & DVD Rights are available

CONCERTS AVAILABLE: ENCORE: Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven” - 6min

1.Kenji Bunch - Swing Shift: Music for the evening hours (2002) [30min]

2.Beethoven 'Ghost' Trio (26min)

3. Tchaikovsky Trio (48min)

4. Antonin Dvorak - Piano Trio Op.90 ‘Dumky’ (36 minutes)

5.Franz Schubert - Piano Trio No.1 in Bb D.898 [25min]

6.Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Trio in G, Op.1 No.2 [30min]

7.Ross Edwards - Piano Trio (1999) 25min

TAKACS

Recognized as one of the world's premierestring quartets, the Takács Quartet playswith a virtuosic technique, intense immediacy and consistently burnished tone. The Takács Quartet was formed in 1975 atthe Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest byGabor Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz, GaborOrmai and András Fejér, while all four werestudents. It first received internationalattention in 1977, winning First Prize andthe Critics' Prize at the International StringQuartet Competition in Evian, France. TheQuartet has also won the Gold Medal at the1978 Portsmouth and Bordeaux Competitionsand First Prizes at the Budapest InternationalString Quartet Competition in 1978 and theBratislava Competition in 1981. The Quartetmade its North American debut tour in 1982.Violinist Edward Dusinberre joined theQuartet in 1993 and violist Roger Tapping in1995. Of the original ensemble, violinist Károly Schranz and cellist András Fejérremain. In 2001, The Takács Quartet was awardedthe Order of Merit of the Knight's Cross ofthe Republic of Hungary.Takacs

Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809)String Quartet in C major, op 76 no 3,‘Emperor’(1797)

Bela BARTÓK (1881-1945)String Quartet no 3, Sz 85 (1927)

Carl VINE (born 1954)String Quartet no 4 (2004)

Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)String Quartet no 2 in Aminor, op 13(1827)

ENCORE: Last movement DVORAK StringQuartet in F Major Opus 96

Concert: 54min

Tankstream Quartet [now Australian String Quartet]

The Tankstream Quartet comprising four ofAustralia’s most brilliant and versatile youngmusicians – Sophie Rowell and Anne Horton(violinists), Sally Boud (violist), and RachelJohnston (cellist) – holds the distinction ofhaving won more international chambermusic competitions than any other ensemblein Australian history. They won First Prize at the 2005 CremonaInternational String Quartet Competition.They also won the 2001 Australian ChamberMusic Competition, and then went on to winthe Gold Medal in the 2002 OsakaInternational Chamber Music Competition(Japan). In 2004 they were the 2nd PrizeWinner in the Paolo Borciani InternationalString Quartet Competition in Italy and in2003 the Quartet won the 3rd Prize and theAudience and Listeners’Choice Awards atthe 4th Melbourne International ChamberMusic Competition.Based in Germany, theyare mentored by the Alban Berg StringQuartet at the Cologne Hochschule.They were also selected by the AustralianGovernment to perform the official music at the Danish Royal Wedding in May 2004. Formed in 2000 and originally mentored by Alice Waten, they have also received guid-ance from members of the Amadeus, Hagen and Smetana Quartets.Since late 2006 they have become the new Australian String Quartet.

CONCERTS AVAILABLE:

1. Vaughan Williams Fantasia 19min

2. Mozart Horn Quintet 17min

3.Shostakovich Piano Quintet 33min

4. Mozart Dissonance Quartet 29min

5. Bruckner String Quintet 44min

6. Frankel 19min

 

 

Johanna Selleck

Selleck is a composer, flautist and writer. She teaches at Melbourne University and the Victorian College of the Arts, works at the Centre for Studies in Australian Music and is currently completing a PhD in composition. She has composed a wide range of chamber, orchestral and electronic works. Her works have been performed by the Queensland, Tasmanian and Melbourne Symphony orchestras. She performed the solo part of her flute concerto Unspoken Dialogues with the Melbourne Symphony in a recording at the Iwaki Auditorium in 2003. Commissions have included works for Ensemble Zauberflöte, Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne University, the Cairnmillar Institute, Melbourne Youth Music, Astra and the Port Fairy Spring Festival. Her first opera, The Quickening, received its premiere at the Port Fairy Festival in October 1998 and was published by the Centre for Studies in Australian Music in 2001. Her piano quartet Looking Back was selected for performance at Maltese Australian Culture Week in Malta in January 2004. In 1990 Selleck was awarded the Percy Grainger Prize for Composition and in 2006 she was awarded First Prize in the 2006 Albert H. Maggs Composition Award.

Concert_43min

TurtleDreaming_31min
Becoming_25min

FortuneSmile_16min

 

Southern Cross Soloists

Established in 1995 the Southern Cross Soloists quickly became one of Australia’s most respected and successful chamber ensembles, establishing an international reputation for ground-breaking performance. The group’s unique combination of oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, piano and soprano allows a variety of music in many genres to be performed. The group features six of Australia’s leading musicians. Director and clarinettist Paul Dean and bassoonist Leesa Dean are former Principal players with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and now freelance throughout Australia. Tania Frazer was formerly the Principal Oboist of the Israel Symphony Orchestra, moving to Australia to play with the Soloists. Lyric soprano Margaret Schindler and horn player Peter Luff are lecturers at Griffith University’s Queensland Conservatorium whilst pianist Kevin Power pursues a freelance career and is Chorus Master of the Queensland Choir.

CONCERTS AVAILABLE:

1. Mozart Oboe Quartet 37min

2. Mozart Divertimento No.4

3. Mozart Magic Flute

Merlyn Quaife

A performer of great versatility, the distinguished soprano Merlyn Quaife has performed opera, oratorio, Lieder, chamber music and contemporary music to great acclaim throughout Australia and Europe. She has also performed as soloist with the Singapore Symphony and the Voronesz Philharmonic in Russia. Merlyn has appeared with all the State Opera Companies in roles ranging from the bel canto Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor to the minimalist Chiang Ch'ing in Nixon in China. She has performed with all the Symphony Australia orchestras, featured in repertoire of every conceivable style from Handel to Ligeti, as well as recorded a number of CDs including Aria for John Edward Eyre by David Lumsdaine which won her a Sounds Australia Award. The highlight of 2004 was the SSO performances of Sibelius' Luonnotar under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy and 2006 sees her again performming with Ashkenazy and the SSO in Rachmaninof's The Bells.

Recital_28min

Poulenc_36min

Jouissance

Jouissance was formed in 1993 to explore a dialogue between Medieval and Byzantine chant, and contemporary culture. The musicians share a fascination with the mysticism, sensuality and rapture found in the works of Hildegard of Bingen, Peter Abelard and the Byzantine Rite. "Near Divine. Jouissance is an ensemble which embodies a feeling... of primal ecstasy." Sydney Morning Herald, 14/3/02 '........the night's instrumental beauties came in the unpredictable passages: the breathy elliptical Japanese flute work of Norman, Tsiavos' wide-ranging bass support, and the assortment of gongs, metal sheets and cymbals that Neville applied to the texture: subtle ornamentation of the ensemble's solid and daring structure.' Clive O'Connell The Age June 2003 "The Australians charm with their originality. ...the music disappears between the two worlds of reality and unreality. The musicians were able to perfectly convey the archaic ether, their ectasy became a part of the audience." - Toomas Kuter, Parnu Postimees, Estonia 13/8/99. Translated by Taavi Piibemann. Jouissance

CONCERTS AVAILABLE:

1. Trinity Concert:

'Spiritus sanctus' Hildegard of Bingen 12thC, - 'Karitas habundat' - 'Ote to Stavro' / " o Quando im Cruce' Beneventan Chant 7thC - 20 minutes.

Item 2 ' Akathistos Fragments' 6thC excerpt from larger work, approximate 17 mins Item 3 'Dolorum Solatium' Peter Abelard 12thC - 20 mins

2. ANAM Concert

Abelard_30min

Triptych_18min

 

Tailem Quartet

The Tailem Quartet formed in 2002 as part of the University of Melbourne’s chamber music program. Since then they have twice been a finalist in the University’s Chamber Music Competition and have performed at a number of Faculty of Music events including its Lunch Hour Concert Series and Gala Concert. In 2004 the quartet performed at the Melbourne International Brass Festival with American trombonist Jim Pugh. In July 2005 the Tailem Quartet was a finalist in the 3rd Australian Chamber Music Competition where they performed to critical acclaim in both final rounds. The quartet has been featured on ABC Classic FM and 3MBS FM. They have received coaching from William Hennessy, Wilma Smith, Keith Crellin and Eckart Runge, cellist with the renowned Artemis Quartet. The four players look forward to furthering their passion for and commitment to chamber music abroad in 2007. The Tailem Quartet are: Rachel Homburg and James Steendam – violins, Merewyn Bramble – viola and Sharon Draper – ’cello. Tailem Filmed in HDCAM [HD] All Broadcast & DVD Rights are available CONCERTS AVAILABLE: 1. At the BMW EDGE 2005 [HD] Joseph Haydn - String Quartet Op.76 No.2 ‘Fifths’ (20 minutes) Antonin Dvorak - String Quartet Op.96 ‘American’ (26 minutes) 2. At the BMW EDGE 2006 [HD] Ludwig van Beethoven - String Quartet Op.59 No.1 'Razumovsky'

Haydn_22min

Beethoven_42min

New Audience Ensemble - Andrian Pertout

Andrián Pertout was born in Santiago, Chile, 17 October, 1963, and lived in Gorizia, Northern Italy for several years before finally settling in Melbourne, Australia in 1972. Over the years he has work as a film composer [East Meets West (1984), Ibrahim (1984), The Murray River Quest (1985), Hope Street (1987) and The Australian Ballet (1990)]; performer, producer, arranger and writer (numerous music publications). Composition awards include the Betty Amsden Award – 2005 3MBS FM National Composer Awards, First Prize in the 2004 ISU Contemporary Music Festival/Louisville Orchestra Composition Competition (Indiana, USA), Judges' and Audience Prize of the 2003 Oare String Orchestra Third International ‘Music for Strings’ Composing Competition (Faversham, UK), 2002 Michelle Morrow Memorial Award for Composition, and the 2002 Zavod Jazz/Classical Fusion Award. New Audience Ensemble-Pertout

1. In C by Terry Riley 18min

2. Renascence by Andrian Pertout

3. Sunburnt Aftertones III by Katy Abbott

4. Sonus Dulcis by Andrian Pertout

 

Silo String Quartet

Silo String Quartet was founded by Cellist and Composer Caerwen Martin in 1998. Silo has performed regularly at the Melbourne International Jazz Festivals and Melbourne International Women in Jazz Festivals since 1999 working with such artists as Fiona Burnett, Belinda Moody, Antonio Tenace, David Chisholm and Quinsin Nachoff (Canada) and was the resident string quartet for the Federation Music Week International Composers Forum. Silo are currently recording a CD for the Federation of Australian Composers that showcases the best of Australia’s new string quartets. This year Silo have recorded a CD for the Sydney Dance Company entitled Origami, composed by David Chisholm. Silo also feature on the live ABC CD Soaring at Dawn for Jazz trio and String Quartet composed by soprano saxophonist Fiona Burnett. Recent work has included performing at Glen Eira Town Hall, Billilla House, Stonington Manor, Melba Hall, Bennetts Lane and Federation Square as well as many recording and performance projects for composers and popular artists including Dan Brodie, Millionaire Souls, CC Martini, Philip Gelbach and Johanna Selleck. Silo has broadcast live on ABC and Melbourne radio stations and features on Caerwen Martin's new soundtrack to the Australian feature film 'Lost and Found’ by David Blake. Silo Filmed in HDCAM [HD]

Andado -CM Paris-CM Still CM Stung,Stuck,Mistaken CM A sad little tale -Kabulovsky Title - Phil McClead --- Borodin No.2 Mozart Divertimento 1st Mut D Major

Piano Fusion

Lana Higson studied under Oleg Stepanov and Leah Horowitz. In 1992 she was awarded the David Paul Landa Memorial Scholarship for Pianists which enabled her to continue her post graduate studies at the Moscow State Conservatorium of Music at the invitation of Professor Lev Vlassenko.The glamorous redhead enjoyed a brilliant solo career appearing with such eminent conductors as Vladimir Verbitsky, Vernon Handley, John Georgiadis and John Curro. She has given solo recitals in the USSR, America and throughout Australia. Tahu Matheson studied his Master of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music under Oleg Stepanov.At 20 years of age Tahu made his first public performance at The New Zealand International Festival of Arts performing Rachmaninov’s Preludes Opus 23 and the world premier of Ten Modern Concert Studies by New Zealand composer Edwin Carr. Standing an imposing 6’ 7” tall and with the same hand-span as Rachmaninov, this exceptionally gifted musician has toured as soloist for Musica Viva in Australia and Chamber Music New Zealand. Nick Freer Filmed in HDCAM [HD] All Broadcast & DVD Rights are available CONCERTS AVAILABLE [2006]: 1. At the BMW EDGE “Avatar” [HD] 1 X 52min or 2 X 26min 2. At the BMW EDGE “Solo” [HD] 1 X 26min Other Concerts CONCERTS AVAILABLE: 1. Brahms Variation on a theme by Schumann 2. ANDREW SHULZ - 12 Variations 3. RAVEL - Mother Goose Suite PIANO KINDLY SUPPLIED BY Wayne Stuart - Stuart & Sons. Filmed Live at the Bangalow Music Festival

BrahmsPianoFusion_20min.wmv

MothergooseRavel_16min.wmv

Bangalow Festival Orchestra

Filmed Live at the Bangalow Music Festival

Brahms 41min

Mendelssohn 29min

Martinu 16min

Bangalow - Aner Yoshimoto Tooby

Ba

Balmain Symphonia Orchestra

Balmain Sinfonia is Orchestra-in-Residence at Macquarie University, a Sydney-based non-professional symphony orchestra, aiming to bring high quality orchestral music to the community.

Grieg Piano, Franck,