Principal sponsor Media partner Major sponsor and Artistic Director’s Chair sponsor Other supporters Huntington Estate, Art Gallery Society of NSW, 2easy Telecom, Ars Musica Australis, Carlisle Print, City of Sydney, City Recital Hall Angel Place, Boardroom Partners, DFK Laurence Varnay Patrons’ Program $5000 + Mr and Mrs Bruce and Mary Anne Terry Mr and Mrs Chris and Pat Wetherall Anonymous (1) Dr Nicholas Wilcken Anonymous (3) $1000 + Professors Peter and Christine Alexander $250 + Mr and Mrs Steve and Maggie Banks Dr Danielle Chiel Ms Erica Booker Ms Phillipa Clark Mr Randell Heyman Ms Sarah Dunn Mr and Mrs Diccon and Liz Loxton Drs Russ and Virginia Hancock Tedeschi & Omega Drs Keith and Eileen Ong Mr and Mrs Bruce and Alison Handmer The Hon. George Palmer AM QC Mr and Mrs Robert and Jocelyn Hellyer Mr and Mrs Adrian and Dairneen Pilton Mr and Mrs Alex and Libby Jones Françaix Quartet for Winds "Quatuor à vents" John Sydney Smith and Nola Charles Ms Anne Knight Spohr Septet for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Violin, Cello Professor John Snowdon Mr and Mrs Richard and Alison Morgan and Piano in A minor, Op. 147 The Suttie Family Ms Rossie Ogilvie Dr and Mrs Anthony and Doffy White Ms Petrina Slaytor Anonymous (2) Professor Gill Straker INTERVAL Mr Mark Tedeschi and Ms Sharon Tofler $500 + Robert Titterton Strauss Capriccio, Op. 85 Mr and Mrs Roberto and Ofelia Brozky Mr Geoffrey White Shostakovich Quintet for Piano and Strings in G minor, Op. 57 Mr Mark Dempsey SC Ms Sandy Williams Mr and Mrs Hugh and Frances Dixson Justice David Yates Mr David Emanuel Anonymous (1) David Rowden - Artistic Director/Founder (clarinet), Lisa Osmialowski (flute), Mr and Mrs Simon and Wendy Hardy David Papp (oboe), Andrew Barnes (bassoon), Michael Dixon (horn), Drs Michael and Louise Jamieson Donors Huy-Nguyen Bui (violin), Airena Nakamura (violin), Tobias Breider (viola), Mrs W G Keighley Ms Jane de Couvreur Ewan Foster (viola), Teije Hylkema (cello), Timothy Nankervis (cello) In memory of Katherine Robertson Mr Claude Ho Lady Heather Rossiter Dr Rosemary Jones Guest artist: Simon Tedeschi (piano) Mrs Renee Symonds Anonymous (4) Sydney Omega Ensemble proudly supports Holdsworth Community Centre & Services Patron: Fr. Arthur E. Bridge AM Simon Tedeschi Guest artist (piano) Simon Tedeschi is often described by critics and musical peers as one of the finest artists of his generation. He has performed in recital and in concert in cities throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Central America and Australia. Over the years Simon has earned many international prizes and scholarships, including first prize in the keyboard section of the Royal Overseas League Music Competition in London (2002), the Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year and a Queen's Trust Overseas Study Award. More recently, Tedeschi was awarded a Centenary of Federation Medal from the Prime Minister of Australia. In 2000 Tedeschi signed a recording deal with Sony Music Australia. He has recorded with Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (under Alexander Briger) and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (under both Richard Bonynge and Benjamin Northey). Simon has performed for many high profile figures including Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark, and various world leaders during the APEC Cultural Event in Sydney (2007). He is the Roving Ambassador for The Australian Children's Music Foundation, and patron for both the Bowraville Cultural Festival and the Blue Mountains Concert Society. The versatility and scope of Tedeschi's appeal is exemplified by his collaboration with acclaimed musicians across different genres and styles - Tedeschi is a one of the rare Shostakovich (1906-1975) Quintet for Piano and Strings in G minor, Op. 57 (1940) (30 mins) classical pianists able to cross over into jazz improvisation. He was the last pianist for Simon Tedeschi (piano), Huy-Nguyen Bui (violin), Airena Nakamura (violin), Tobias Breider renowned US jazz musician Larry Adler, who remarked he was the best pianist he ever (viola), Teije Hylkema (cello) worked with. Simon also played the hands of acclaimed pianist David Helfgott in the Oscar-winning movie Shine, and was the subject in Cherry Hood's striking portrait that 1. Prelude: Lento 2. Fugue: Adagio 3. Scherzo: Allegretto 4. Intermezzo: Lento won the 2002 Archibald Prize - Simon Tedeschi Unplugged. In early 2009 Simon 5. Finale: Allegretto performed for the G'day USA celebrations in Carnegie Hall (to celebrate Inauguration Day) and was named the recipient of the 2009 Legacy Award from the Creativity Founded in the early 1920s by graduates from the Moscow conservatory, the Beethoven Foundation. Most recently Simon has appeared as soloist with the Sydney, Queensland, quartet was already firmly established as one of the finest chamber groups in the Soviet Christchurch and Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestras. Union by the time Shostakovich began building his own reputation. In 1940, impressed by the composer’s first string quartet, the ensemble approached Shostakovich proposing he write a work they could perform together. The result was this Quintet, an assured and articulate creation, made richer by a musical fluency that enabled the composer to effortlessly borrow from the language of previous eras. The Prelude and Fugue that form the work’s opening movements finely illustrate the composer’s mastery of contrapuntal techniques. The wild abandon of the third movement’s Scherzo and Trio contrasts with the more subdued, regretful slow fourth movement, while the classical architecture of sonata form supports the final movement’s rousing gestures. The work was first performed in November 1940, and in 1941 it received the Stalin prize – awarded for achievements that advanced the Soviet Union or the cause of socialism. Indeed, the piece was so enthusiastically received that violinist Dubinsky recalls: David Rowden "For a time the Quintet overshadowed even such events as the football matches between the main teams. The Quintet was discussed in trams, people tried to sing in Artistic Director/Founder the streets the second defiant theme of the finale…” David studied clarinet with Francesco Celata from the age of eleven. He played in the No doubt the success of the work played a part in cementing the relationship between Sydney Sinfonia and Sydney Youth Orchestra before being awarded a scholarship to Shostakovich and the Beethoven quintet, who went on to premiere all but two of the study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he won the Geoffrey Hawkes Prize for composer’s 15 string quartets. clarinet performance in his final year. His teachers in London were Angela Malsbury and Mark Van de Wiel. While overseas, David also studied in Italy with Anthony Pay at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana Siena, and in France at the Academie de Villecroze with French clarinetist Paul Meyer. David also performed in the Pacific Music Festival for three consecutive years from 2005 in Japan. Since returning to Sydney, David has performed as a freelance orchestral musician with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, The Queensland Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and as a guest principal clarinet with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. As a chamber musician, David has performed as a guest artist with the Australia Ensemble and the Sydney Soloists. In 2005 David founded the Sydney Omega Ensemble. In 2007 David’s performance of Inferno by Sydney composer-performer Margery Smith was nominated for the “Best Performance of an Australian Composition” in the APRA/AMC Classical Music Awards. David also premiered a double chamber Clarinet Concerto by George Palmer, with renowned clarinetist Dimitri Ashkenazy, the recording of which has been broadcast on ABC Classic FM. In 2011 David was a finalist in the ABC Young Performer of the year awards performing the Copland Clarinet Concerto with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. David is also currently the Curator of the 2013 House Music series at Government House, Sydney. David is a Buffet-Crampon artist and currently performs on the new Divine clarinets. Sydney Omega Ensemble Louis Spohr (1784–1859) Septet for Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Violin, Cello and Piano in A The Ensemble was established by its Artistic Director David Rowden in 2005, when he minor, Op. 147 (1853) (33 mins) and 10 other young musicians sought to redefine Sydney's classical chamber music Simon Tedeschi (piano), Lisa Osmialowski (flute), David Rowden (clarinet), Andrew Barnes (bassoon), Michael Dixon (horn), Huy-Nguyen Bui (violin), Teije Hylkema (cello) landscape. Their performances have received enthusiastic acclaim from audiences and reviewers alike, and continue to be broadcast around Australia on radio stations Fine 1. Allegro vivace Music 102.5 and ABC Classic FM. 2. Pastorale: Larghetto 3. Scherzo: Vivace The Ensemble performs chamber music from duos, trios to octets and more, in 4. Finale: Allegro molto programs of “classical” and “contemporary classical” music. In The Sydney Morning Herald in 2006, David Vance welcomed the Ensemble as a new force in Sydney chamber While to today’s listener Spohr’s music may not sound particularly adventurous, in his music that “has at its disposal a vast chamber repertoire, old and new”. day he was considered a highly original voice, a pioneer of the early romantic era. Yet although he was once accorded similar standing to musical greats such as Beethoven, The Ensemble was identified early for its commitment to new Australian music, its 2007 Spohr’s music faded into relative obscurity soon after the composer’s death. While some performance of Inferno by Sydney composer-performer Margery Smith being commentators attribute this to a lack of flair or genuine originality , it is worth nominated for the “Best Performance of an Australian Composition” in the APRA/AMC remembering that many now-famous composers have, at times, been similarly Classical Music Awards. neglected. Indeed, in recent decades several of Spohr’s chamber works have once again come into favour.