MONASH PERFORMING ARTS CENTRES

Monash University Performing Arts Centres in association with the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance Presents

MONASH ACADEMY ORCHESTRA

GRAVITY HILL

Sunday 23 May, 2021, 2:30PM Alexander Theatre

Melody Eötvös Gravity Hill (world premiere) 2020 Monash University Ed Byrne Commission

Rachmaninov Vocalise

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 i. Allegro molto appassionato ii. Andante iii. Allegretto non troppo - Allegro molto vivace

Beethoven Symphony No.8 in F major, Op.93 i. Allegro vivace e con brio ii. Allegretto scherzando iii. Tempo di menuetto iv. Allegro vivace

Natalia Raspopova conductor Benjamin Spiers violin Natalie Grimmett soprano Monash Academy Orchestra

Gravity Hill This piece is inspired by an optical illusion known as a gravity or magnetic hill, where the layout of the surrounding land makes a slight downhill slope appear to be an uphill slope. There are many of these hills around the world and this piece makes reference to four of those.

I - Essen-Werden (Germany) II - MagnetBakken (Denmark) III - Slievenamon (Ireland) IV - The Road between Budești and Cavnic (Romania)

Each of the movements in this piece is like an imaginary postcard – brief but affectionate glimpses of a place sent by someone who’s thinking of you. While the sender in this instance is imaginary too, creating a ‘sound’ that belongs to a place or object is one of my absolute favourite compositional things to do.

© Melody Eötvös 2021

Natalia Raspopova has recently completed her tenure as Assistant Conductor with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra – a position she has held since July 2015. In this role, Natalia has assisted international conductors such as Simone Young, Maxim Vengerov, Fabien Gabel, Jessica Cottis, Johannes Fritzsch, Lukasz Borowicz, Santtu-Matias Rouvali and Jacques Lacombe. Natalia has appeared with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Monash Academy Orchestra, Opera Queensland and Melbourne Youth Orchestra. In 2017 Natalia studied with Marin Alsop, and was also selected to study with David Zinman at the 9th International Masterclass with TonhalleOrchester Zürich. In 2019 Natalia was awarded the Rockend Berlin New Music Opera Award for Young Australians from the Opera NATALIA RASPOPOVA Foundation and was also the recipient of the Brian Stacey Professional Development

Award. Russian-born, Natalia came to Australia aged sixteen and has performed widely

in Australia as a pianist. Concerts and important collaborations with singers led Natalia to developing an interest in opera, and subsequently to the study of conducting. Natalia has been part of the Symphony Services International Conductor Development Program, which has seen her working with the Tasmanian and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, Auckland Philharmonia and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Natalia completed her Masters Degree in Conducting under the tutelage of Imre Pallò, Dr.Stephen Mould and Eduardo Diazmunoz at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Melody Eötvös (1984) was born in the Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia. From the age of five she studied piano and music theory under her parent’s tutelage and at eight began learning the cello which coincided with her first experimentations in composition. Her undergraduate studies were completed at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music Griffith University, with Dr. Gerardo Diriè. Commissions in 2020 included The Philadelphia Orchestra (USA), The Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra (USA). Future projects include collaborations with ANAM, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Alex Raineri, and the Flinders String Quartet. Melody is a Lecturer in Composition and Aural Studies at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Melody holdsa Doctor of Music (2014) from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music USA, MELODY EÖTVÖS and a Master of Music (2008) from the Royal Academy of Music, London UK.

Ben began violin lessons with Robert Dowdell before successfully obtaining a music scholarship to The Peninsula School in Mt Eliza. He played with the Peninsula Youth Orchestra for three years before joining the Frankston Symphony Orchestra, where opportunities arose that allowed him to appear as a soloist with the orchestra. He went on to join the Melbourne Youth Orchestra, under the distinguished Australian conductor and educator Fabian Russell. In 2011, whilst in Year 11, Ben successfully auditioned for the Australian Youth Orchestra program. Over the next few years with the Australian Youth Orchestra, Ben travelled all around Australia and Europe working with some of the world’s finest conductors and soloists including Christoph Eschenbach, Simone Young, Thomas Dausgaard and Arvo Volmer. After an extended period in Europe through 2013 BENJAMIN SPIERS and early 2014, Ben commenced his undergraduate studies at The University of Melbourne studying with violinist Monica Curro. He completed his Bachelor of Music (Honours) at Monash University Zelman Cowen School of Music, studying under esteemed Australian violinist Sophie Rowell. Whilst at Monash, he won the 2019 Monash University Concerto Competition. Ben was concertmaster of The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for 2014 and appointed concertmaster of the Melbourne Opera Orchestra in 2016. He has led the orchestra for Melbourne Opera’s sellout seasons of Tannhäuser (2016), Lohengrin (2017), Tristan und Isolde (2018), Der Rosenkavalier (2018) and Der Fliegende Holländer (2019) as well as several tours with the orchestra to China. Ben enjoys both teaching and working as a freelance musician in and around Melbourne.

Coloratura soprano Natalie Grimmett is a recent graduate from the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music and Performance, having studied a double degree in Arts and Music, majoring in Theatre and Performance and specialising in Classical Voice Performance under the tutelage of Merlyn Quaife. This year, Natalie is continuing her studies at the school by undertaking an honours year researching feminist opera interpretation and creating her own new work centring the character of Gilda from Verdi’s Rigoletto. Outside of Monash, Natalie performs regularly with Opera Scholars Australia, and was a finalist in their 2021 ‘Scholar of the Year’ concert this March. Natalie has also performed in The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables with the Peninsula Light Operatic Society, and made her operatic debut as a chorus member in Melbourne Opera’s 2019 NATALIE GRIMMETT production of Richard Wagner’s Der fliegende Hollӓnder.

MONASH ACADEMY Monash Academy Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based on the Clayton campus of ORCHESTRA Monash University. Consisting of students from the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music as well as musicians from across the wider Monash campuses, it is an orchestra committed to sharing the joy of musical performance. The orchestrahas established an enviable reputation as an outstanding training and mentoring orchestra, performing a large variety of major symphonic repertoire from Beethoven and Mozart to Stravinsky and Duke Ellington. Students are provided with the opportunity to develop their knowledge of orchestral repertoire, as well as the ensemble skills necessary for professional practice. The orchestra is committed to performing the work of Australian composers. To this end, a new work is commissioned from an Australian composer each year. The orchestra works closely with established and renowned conductors and recognised soloists, providing students with the opportunity to learn from some of the very best in the industry.

MONASH ACADEMY VIOLIN ONE CELLO CLARINET ORCHESTRA Susannah Ng^ Kalina Krusteva^ Harrison McEwen Ella Summers Marcus Chen Tegan Bradshaw Paul Hwang Holly Abougelis Freya Parr Hannah Wee Serena Su Fiona Qiu^ Thomas Velican BASS CLARINET Clarisse Liew Tara Skelton Jordan Higgins Zhaoyuanyuan Jiang Siena Zubcic BASSOON VIOLIN TWO DOUBLE BASS Sara Rafferton^ Lalita Wright Maddison Furlan Matthew Kneale^ Felix Pascoe^ Emma Sullivan^ FRENCH HORN Lauren Lok Timothy Allen-Ankins^ Thomas Garnett FLUTE Nadja Schneller Scott Plenderleith Lynda Latu^ Eve McEwen Natasha Whimpey Danielle Rowse Sophie Hogan Vivian Jin TRUMPET Zoe Bartholomeusz Hannah Phillips Christopher Grace^ Rebekka Walker VIOLA OBOE Emre Cakmakicoglu Rachel Bullen^ TIMPANI Matthew Wu Benjamin Roe Casey Prater Matilda Sherwin Xiaoyu Gao Eleanor Weale Imogen Stephenson COR ANGLAIS Alice Choate Rachel Bullen^ ^ denotes guest musician Matthew James Mor Vered Amethyst Gration

Monash Academy Orchestra would like to thank the tutorial staff who worked with our musicians: Roy Theaker rehearsal conductor and violin Susannah Ng violin Aaron Wyatt viola Blair Harris cello Kalina Krusteva cello Rachel Bullen woodwind Presented by John Arcaro timpani