Youth Orchestras Presents

Saturday 30 May, Verbrugghen Hall Saturday 31 May, Riverside Theatre Sydney Youth Orchestras

Sydney Youth Orchestras strives to In all aspects of its operations, Sydney nurture and inspire young people to Youth Orchestras is committed achieve artistic excellence by providing to upholding its core values. We the best possible orchestral training pride ourselves on our provision of program. This leads to the highest inspiration, creativity, collaboration and standards of performance supported excellence. by an engaged community of members, parents and stakeholders.

SYO is made up of 12 ensembles, with an age range of 6-25.

Sydney Youth Orchestra Speer Orchestra SYO Philharmonic John Hopkins Orchestra Peter Seymour Orchestra Camerata Vibrata Symphonic Wind Orchestra Cameratissimo TangoOz Chamber Strings Percussion Ensemble Sinfonietta

Upcoming Concerts ^ Janácek’s Romance and Tragedy with Pacific Opera TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo & Juliet: Overture Sydney Grammar School MAHLER Symphony No.5 Conducted by Alexander Briger Conducted by Fabian Russell Friday 2 October, 7pm Friday 6 November Saturday 3 October, 7pm Sydney Town Hall

SYO TODDLERS’ PROMS SYO Concerto Competition Final Leichhardt Town Hall Chapter Hall, St Mary’s Cathedral College Peter Seymour Orchestra Sunday 16 August Conducted by John Ockwell 10am Sunday 9 August 9:30, 10:30 & 11:30am

2 SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES

Conductor Mr Alexander Briger Sydney Youth Orchestra Michael Dauth – Violin

The Sydney Youth Orchestra is excited We’re joined by violin virtuoso to present The Ride of the Valkyries. and former Sydney Symphony Wagner’s magnificentDer Ring Ohne concertmaster Michael Dauth for the Worte (The Ring without words), is an world premiere of Concerto for Violin orchestral selection from the world’s and Orchestra by Australian composer most epic opera. It features many Lee Bracegirdle. of The Ring’s best loved moments including the Ride of the Valkyries, Magic Fire Music, Siegfried’s Funeral March and many more.

SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES 3 Conductor - Alexander Briger

Alexander Briger is the newly appointed de Paris, Radio orchestra of France, Artistic Director for the Sydney Youth Konzerthausorchester, Berlin; and opera Orchestras and is one of the most at such houses as the Royal Opera exciting conductors appearing on the House, Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, podium today. After studying at the Aix-en-Provence, Theatre du Chatelet, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, he Paris, the Komische Oper, Berlin and moved to and in 1993, won first the . He prize at the International Competition has also worked extensively around for Conductors in the Czech Republic. Australia with and all He went on to assist and work the state orchestras. As Artistic and closely with and Sir Music Director of the Australian World . He has conducted Orchestra, Alexander is a visionary international orchestras such as the leader who regularly works with SYO London Philharmonic, LSO, CBSO, BBC alumni currently placed in major Symphony, Philharmonia, Orchestre orchestras around the world.

4 SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES Orchestra Bold = Principal * = Guest

Violin 1 Cello Bassoon Darcy Dauth Annabelle Oomens Alison Wormell Samantha Chiu Hikaru Fuminashi Brighdie Chambers Liam Fogarty Joshua Grasso Maria Smith Sarah Qiu Nick McManus Sophia Vasic Katherine Moses Horns Holly Smith Amy Chang Bevan Nicholas Ashkan Khoshab Julia Zhong Eve McEwen Lily Mullin-Chivers Rachel Liang Thomas Edwards Amy Cohen William Goh Lotti Ropert Colin Camphausen Andie Wittenoom Louw Nick Mooney* Miriam Greenbaum Patrick Carreon Katie Garman* David Carreon Levi Johnson* Sagar Nagaraj Double Bass Jack Stephens* Vanessa Li Violin 2 Jessica Brown Trumpet Emily Beauchamp Ethan Ireland Jenna Smith Karen Kong Adrian Whitehall Alfie Carslake Daniel Zhou Annabel Cameron Sam Thompson Vincent Tsang Raphael Coulhon Flute Trombone Anthony Youssef Kinsey Alexander Chris Upton Sabrina Macdonald Elissa Koppen Darcy Shevlin Lizzy Greenhalgh Clara Pitt Jason Ulbrich Pana Panaretos Chloe Hill* Cian Malikides* Tania Ma David Williams* Annia Mao Oboe Callum Hogan Tuba Viola Eve Osborn Yoann Degioanni Sergio Insuasti Kate Mostert Joshua Cannon Toby Debelak* Percussion Calida Tang Rory Wilson Tim Dickinson Clarinet Stuart Rynn Zoe Brown Jarred Mattes Jessica Fang Marlon Schroeder James Julian Oliver Brighton Alexander Pettaras Jessica Budge Mitchell Sloan* Liam Kinney Rachel Thompson* Harp Joanne Baee Kate Moloney

SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES 5 This concert presents several extraordinary musical milestones, not only in a historical sense but as a chance for young musicians to grapple with some of the greatest orchestral challenges. Wagner unleashed the full expressive force of the orchestra like never before in his composition of The Ring Cycle, and the work presented today reveals Wagner at the height of his power. Our musicians in the Sydney Youth Orchestra have bravely toiled with the great cultural and artistic significance of this masterpiece, as well as with their sheer virtuosity, however equally challenging is the task of interpreting a world premiere. Ride with them on this tour de force of orchestral music-making! Richard Wagner (1813-1883): The Ring Without Words

With the new season of Game of admitted in a letter to a close friend Thrones well under way, what better that “The whole will become – out with time to reflect on a work that in it! I am not ashamed to say so – the many ways laid the foundations of greatest work of poetry ever written.” the numerous fantastic, mythology- The story essentially depicts the rise inspired stories that have achieved cult and fall of gods and civilisations via status in recent years. A precursor to the passage of an accursed ring, authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, George forged from gold stolen from the Lucas and J.K. Rowling, not to mention river Rhine. The famous and strangely the many cast and crew who helped familiar characters include Alberich bring their stories to life, Richard the Nibelungen Dwarf, Brünnhilde the Wagner, combining music, poetry and Valkyrie and Siegfried, grandson of spectacular visual staging, achieved Wotan, the head of the gods. There something unprecedented and unique are however close to thirty individual in the history of aesthetic endeavour. characters and numerous ‘extras’ who all inhabit the multigenerational plotline Wagner created a new world from his on a plane shared by mortals and 19th century romanticized readings immortals. of including the epic tale Das Nibelungenlied, writing every word In order to stage this ‘never-before- of the libretto and every note of the seen-or-heard’ scale of work, which 15 hour score himself. Wagner boldly took Wagner around 25 years of

6 SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES compositional and poetic labour, he The orchestra sings on triumphantly built the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, the even once all the voices have died largest ever free-standing wooden down in Wagner’s Ring. Wieland, structure. grandson of Richard, explained to that the orchestra “is where The gargantuan scale of the it all is – the text behind the text, the performance limits the choices of universal subconscious that binds venues however, thus providing Erich Wagner’s personae one to the other Leinsdorf’s justification for his orchestral and to the proto-ego of legend”. Maazel arrangement. beautifully translated these profound comments after a later performance was one of the most of the complete cycle: “its orchestra renowned and famously severe score is the Ring itself, coded in sound. conductors of the 20th century, he also Decoded, it becomes story, legend, arranged Wagner’s other epic opera song, philosophy in countless cosmic trilogy Parsifal. Leinsdorf opens The overtones and human undertones.” Ring with the magnificent “Ride of the Valkyries”, moving on to the “Magic Fire - Anthony Albrecht Scene” where Wotan warns any who would attempt to clime his mountain and seize Brünnhilde from the flames. Evidently ignoring the warning, the next musical scene depicts the fearless Siegfried traversing the flames, albeit slightly before he musically ascends Valkyrie Rock. At the break of dawn, we move with Siegfried on his Rhine journey and find ourselves at Hagen’s lair, with the brass ominously hinting at his evil intentions. Suddenly, Siegfried is no more, and his funeral march is followed by the transcendent and overpowering final scene which sees the Rhine reclaim its gold, while in the distance the palace of the gods burns to the ground.

SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES 7 Lee Bracegirdle - Composer

After early musical studies in Philadelphia, Lee Bracegirdle attended the Juilliard School in New York as a French horn student of James Chambers, earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. During his studies he led a multi-faceted free-lance career which involved recordings with many prominent jazz musicians, including Clark Terry, Ornette Coleman, Stanley Clark and Teo Macera.

From 1976-1977 he was Co-Principal Horn with México’s Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM and Principal Horn with the Chamber Orchestra of México City. In 1977 he moved to Germany, where he co-founded the Chicago-based Kodaly Academy. Germany’s premier brass quintet, Since 1999 he has been Musical Director Rekkenze Brass. of the Australian Chamber Ballet, for whom he has composed several works. In 1980 he was appointed Associate The SSO has performed the premieres Principal Horn with the Sydney of his Variations for Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, where he served Ammerseelieder and Euphonium until his retirement in 2012. He has Concerto. In 2007 the American Wind made numerous recordings for the ABC Symphony Orchestra commissioned as a soloist, chamber musician and and recorded his Threnos for Horn and principal horn. symphonic winds. This ensemble also commissioned his Legends of the Old In 1998 he was awarded First Prize Castle, which the SSO premiered during in the Zoltan Kodaly Composers’ the 2014 International Harp Congress Competition for his first orchestral work, with Louise Johnson as soloist. His Divertimento for Orchestra. This award music is published by C.F. Peters in New earned him an honorary diploma from York and Leipzig.

8 SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES Lee Bracegirdle - Notes

The conductor said soloist whistles a prayer. Passionate, about concertmaster Michael Dauth, “If philosophial full-orchestra passages I had to go into battle, he’s the soldier follow until the violin’s magpie song I’d want at my side”. When a violinist morphs into the Gregorian chant. of this calibre asks for a concerto, you don’t say ‘No’. Mr Dauth requested and Presto (Rondo): I gladly accepted. The work’s structure Sizzling percussion introduce the reflects classic sonata form, with soloist’s insect-swarm theme. After melodic use of 12-tone serialism in a woodwinds and brass swat at the very liberal sense. insects, the soloist emerges with a Gypsy-esque dance tune, bragging Allegro: breathtaking technical acrobatics. An opening cadenza presents much of These two themes permeate the the material that is developed during movement’s development, interjected the concerto. The soloist then begins with ideas drawn from the 1st the legato main melody. An oboe movement introduction. A wild dance introduces the second subject and more brings soloist and orchestra together in complex textures. After a musical ‘full- a frenzied climax. stop’ the harp breezes while the soloist shows off double-stops gymnastics. The orchestra makes heated philosophical discussion in the form of a fugue, utilising all the material so far visited. A cadenza follows and the movement ends on a celeste-harp “question mark”.

Adagio: Plush, heartbeat-swells of strings underpin the soloist’s opening theme, based on a magpie’s tune. A Gregorian- chant-like melody follows, voiced deep in the orchestra. After these develop, front-desk string players form a tender quintet accompaniment while the

SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES 9 Michael Dauth - Violin

Of English – German origin, Michael Dauth began violin studies under the direction of his father, later studying with Franz Josef Maier and the Amadeus Quartet in Cologne, and with Yfrah Neaman at the Guildhall School in London. Soon after, he became Concertmaster of Hanover’s North German Radio Orchestra and successfully auditioned for the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan.

He was invited to lead the Berlin Philharmonic Octet, Berlin Piano Trio and Chamber Virtuosi. In 1988 he moved to Australia, became Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony, and was a founding member, Special concertos, the Beethoven Romances, Concertmaster and Artistic Director of works by Saint-Saens, Massenet, the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa and Kreisler and Drdla, Schnittke’s Concerto guest Concertmaster of the London Grosso (which received the Deutsche Symphony Orchestra. From 2000-2011 Grammophon prize in Japan), and the he was Concertmaster of the Sydney world premiere recording of Takemitsu’s Symphony Orchestra. Nostalghia. His recording of Vaughan Williams’s Lark Ascending has received Michael Dauth has appeared as a worldwide recognition. soloist with major orchestras in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Europe In 2003 he received the Centenary medal awarded by the Governor- He has recorded the Beethoven, General for service to Australian society Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn violin and the advancement of music.

10 SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES Darcy Dauth - Concertmaster

Darcy Dauth began playing the violin in 2005 in the Year 3 String Program at Barker College, under the direction of Sheau-Fang Low, during which time he participated in the school’s Chamber and Symphony Orchestras and various chamber ensembles. Darcy obtained his A.Mus.A in 2012 and was a finalist in the 2012 and 2013 Roger Woodward Award. In 2012 Darcy joined the Sydney Youth Orchestra Philharmonic, becoming its concertmaster in 2013.

In 2014 and 2015 Darcy attended the AYO National Music Camp in both Canberra and Adelaide, and later that commenced his Bachelor of year led the Sydney Youth Orchestra in Music Performance at the Sydney the second subscription concert series, Conservatorium of Music this year. performing at Angel Place with soloist Simon Tedeschi. Upon finishing Year 12 Darcy is joined by his father, Michael at Barker College, Darcy was awarded Dauth for this concerts exciting world the Music 2 and Music Extension premiere of Bracegirdle’s Concerto for prizes. In 2014 he led the Sydney Youth Violin and Orchestra. Orchestra at Carols in the Domain performing with a variety of celebrities and well-known artists. In 2015 Darcy was appointed Concertmaster of the Sydney Youth Orchestra. Darcy auditioned and was accepted into both the Brisbane and Sydney Conservatoriums of Music and

SYDNEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA - THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES 11 We would like to thank all of our generous donors in 2014-2015

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SYO Board SYO Management Jan Bowen – Chair Stephanie Hutchinson – General Manager Anthony Bell – Deputy Chair Susan Hart – Business Manager Tim Samway – Treasurer Aine Markey – Head of Development & Geraldine Doogue Marketing Malcom Long Helen Cho – Events Operations Manager Jon North Casey Green – Operations Manager Pieter Oomens Gretchen Habermann – Marketing & Administration Coordinator Artistic Patron Nick Munro – Operations Assistant Rev. Dr Arthur Bridge AM Philip Levy – HR Advisor Gail Pryor – Archivist Photography Carol Gibson

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