2019 Concert2 JUNE 2019 - 2PM two Theme & Variations offers the Emerging Artist Program to our education partners to give students an opportunity to step into the role of a professional pianist, and perform on a Steinway Concert Grand, in front of a live audience. With critique from highly respected adjudicator Professor Michael Brimer, students not only receive valuable feedback, but meet industry leaders and like-minded students in a supportive and nurturing environment. The more pianists can experience performing live, the better musicians they will become. ELLEN ZHANG, REBECCA COLWELL St Catherine’s School Ascham School Ravel - Miroirs No 5 ‘La vallée des cloches’ Bach - Partita No 2 in C minor, BWV 826 5th Movement Holyoake - Dragonflies Rondeau, 6th Movement Capriccio Debussy - Images Book 1 ‘Reflets dans l’eau’ Haydn - Sonata in Eb Major, No 59 Hob XVI:49 Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G Major, Op 32 No 5 1st Movement Allegro, 3rd Movement Finale Tempo di Poulenc - Toccata from Trois pièces Menuetto Chopin - Fantaisie-impromptu in C# Minor, Op 66 No 4 OLIVIA CHEN JOY CHEN Abbostleigh Sydney Conservatorium of Music Schumann - Carnaval Op 9 Ravel - Jeux d’eau Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G Minor Op 23 No 5 Glinka / Balakirev - The Lark Chopin - Etude in C# Minor, Op 10 No 4 Next concert 11 August For venue and ticket information visit themeandvariations.com.au/emergingartists Money raised will go to the Theme & Variations Foundation. For more information visit: tandvfoundation.com.au INTRODUCING OUR PERFORMERS ELLEN ZHANG Ellen Zhang is a Year 12 student at St Catherine’s School, currently studying Music 2 and Music Extension. She began her musical journey at the age of six, learning violin. Since then she has been part of the Sydney Youth Orchestra and has also been involved in many school ensembles including the Senior Orchestra and Chamber Strings. She also studied flute before beginning her studies in piano at the age of twelve. In the past five years she has performed in numerous events both in and out of school. Ellen achieved her AMusA Diploma last year. REBECCA COLWELL Rebecca started her music education at the age of 3½ with Australian Music Schools and found her passion for piano by the age of 5. Since 2016 she has been in the Rising Stars Program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying piano under Dr Bernadette Harvey. She is also a music scholarship holder at Ascham School. Over the past few years, Rebecca has been an active participant and prize winner in the Sydney Eisteddfod. In 2017, aged 11, Rebecca was the youngest finalist in the Sydney Eisteddfod Alf & Pearl Pollard Memorial Instrumental awards for Performance Excellence. OLIVIA CHEN Olivia Chen completed grade 5 AMEB when she was in year 3. In 2014 she completed grade 9 with excellency from China’s Central Conservatory of Music, earning awards including a silver medal in the ‘Shanghai International Youth Piano Competition’. Moving to USA she attained her level 9 Certificate with excellence from the Music Teachers’ Association of California. Returning to Sydney, Olivia attained her AMusA and LMusA in years 10 and 11. As a student at Abbotsleigh School, she performed in the 2017 Rising Star concert as harpsichord accompanist in the Baroque Music Festival. She is also in the school orchestra and choir. JOY CHEN Joy Chen began her piano studies at the age of six. Since her return to Sydney in 2013, she has been studying with Dr Paul Rickard-Ford at the Open Academy Rising Star Program with Scholarship from 2014 to 2018. Joy is currently a 1st year student studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with a Myron Kantor Bequest Scholarship. Joy has won several awards at the Sydney Eisteddfod and St George Instrumental Eisteddfod since 2014, also prizes in international competitions in China, HongKong, Belgium and Germany. In 2016, Joy completed her LMusA Diploma award with distinction. PROFESSOR MICHAEL BRIMER, Adjudicator Professor Michael Brimer has a creative musical background as a pianist, chamber musician, organist, conductor and academic. Studies at the University of Cape Town, the Royal College of Music and the Royal School of Church Music in London and at the University of Cambridge led to an academic career which brought appointments at the University of Western Australia as Lecturer, Monash University as Senior Lecturer, the University of Natal as Foundation Professor of Music, the University of Cape Town as Dean of the Faculty of Music and the University of Melbourne where he was for nine years the Ormond Professor of Music and for five years Dean of the Faculty. He was appointed Professor Emeritus on leaving Melbourne and subsequently has been based in Sydney while performing and lecturing. As always, we thank Professor Brimer who brings his enormous experience and knowledge to our series..