What's On : January, February, March 2016

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH 2016

THIS EDITIONWin business class tickets with Etihad AirwaysMusic Play Children’s Festival makes some noiseThe Necks redefine jazzColombian harp virtuoso Edmar CastañedaBlues & roots legend Taj MahalPianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard plays Messiaen

NATALIE PRASS

29 FEBRUARY

PP100016130

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE • The information in this brochure is correct at time of printing.2

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SundaySaturday

JAN

UA

RY

MA

RCH

FEB

RU

AR

Y

17

04

11

25

18

01

15

08

22

07

29

21

28

05 06 07

01 02 03

12 14 15

26 27 28 29 30 31

19 20 21 22 23 24

02 03 04 05 06 07

16 17 18 19 20

09 10 12 13 14

23 24 25 26 27 28

08 09 10 11 12 13

01 02 03 04 05 06

15 16 17 18 19 20

22 23 24 25 26

29 30 31

Woody’s World — p5Sing Swing Play — p5Jay Laga’aia — p4

16

The Music Machine — p5

Cabbage Symphony — p5

Space Symphony — p4

Uke’n Play — p5Yalka Dayan — p5

Jazz Up Your Kids — p4

Voyage to the Moon p9


Electric Cello – Jo Quail — p10Voyage to the Moon p9


Homage — p10Kev Carmody — p11

Zappa in Recital — p7Cat Power — p6

Cat Power — p6 Deva Premal & Miten with Manose p7

Eternal – Chris McNulty — p8

A New World: intimate music from Final Fantasy — p8

Monteverdi’s Vespers p12

Schubertiade — p14Monteverdi’s Vespers p12

VCE Top Class 2016: Dance — p14Water — p14

James Sherlock & Stephen Magnusson — p15

St David’s Day Welsh Celtic Celebration — p15

Maurice Steger: Recorder Revolutionary — p16

Maurice Steger: Recorder Revolutionary — p16

Beauty & the Brass p24Godspeed You! Black Emperor — p24

Michael Kieran Harvey & Timothy Young — p25Michael Gira — p25

Ulpirra Sonatines p26

VCE Top Class 2016: Music — p26Drumscapes — p26

Ben Winkelman Trio p26Edmar Castañeda Trio — p27

Sodade — p27Hong-Anh Nguyen Live in Concert — p27

Natalie Prass — p17 Music of Great Renaissance Chapels p19Ears Wide Open — p19

Gulyás (goulash) p19Dejan Lazić — p21

Luisa Morales — p22Alleged Dances — p22

A Taste of Spain — p22Band of Brothers p23

A Taste of Spain — p22The Necks — p23

Classical Visions p24

Salon Music — p28Diego El Cigala — p28

Letters from Abroad p28Songhoy Blues — p29

St Patrick’s Day with Ogham Soup — p30Ladysmith Black Mambazo — p30

Songs of Friends p30Steve Earle & The Dukes — p31

Steve Earle & The Dukes — p31

Pierre-Laurent Aimard — p32

The Music of Mary Finsterer — p33Tweedy — p33

Mostly Mozart – Serenades — p34Love Letters — p34

Timeless Inevitability p34

Bach’s St Matthew Passion — p35

Jason Isbell — p35 Bach & his Ancestors p36Taj Mahal — p36

24

Sign up to our fortnightly What’s On Guide email to receive special offers, priority bookings and more. Visit melbournerecital.com.au

Welcome

MARY VALLENTINE AOCEO, Melbourne Recital Centre

SARAH BUILTGeneral Manager, Australia/New Zealand

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is proud to be a partner of Melbourne Recital Centre. By bringing internationally acclaimed artists from around the world, Etihad Airways is able to enrich the experience of Centre patrons. With a second daily flight to Abu Dhabi and beyond to five continents, we can now connect Victorians to more of the world’s arts and cultural hubs. We trust you will enjoy the superior quality of our guest experience and make a stopover to marvel at the wonders of our home, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE • The information in this brochure is correct at time of printing. 3

Welcome to the summer issue of Melbourne Recital Centre’s What’s On Guide. The Centre is Australia’s home of music, a place where performers and audiences meet in one of the most beautiful halls in the world, especially designed to make sound come alive. Music-lovers of all ages are spoiled for choice in the next few months. Our annual Children’s Festival Music Play includes Australian jazz icon, trumpet-player James Morrison and a trip to other worlds in Space Symphony. Naturally there’ll be exciting free activities and playful experiences to inspire your kids. In February the Centre presents the superb early music ensemble Concerto Italiano performing Monteverdi’s masterpiece for choir and orchestra, the Vespers of the Blessed Virgin of 1610. The Rome-based ensemble’s interpretation of Monteverdi’s music is definitive and the Vespers are opulent and thrilling Baroque music at its finest. We also begin our Great Performers 2016 season with recitals by bold Serbian pianist Dejan Lazić playing C.P.E. Bach and Scarlatti, plus eminent French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, performing Messiaen’s epic and sublime Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus.

This summer we also welcome the best in rock, pop and global sounds. We have an incredible line-up in store ranging from indie darling Cat Power, Malian afro-pop mavericks Songhoy Blues and intense post-rock masters Godspeed You! Black Emperor. As if that wasn’t enough reason to make the Centre your home this summer, for every ticket you buy for an event in January, February and March you’ll be entered into the draw to win Business Class flights to Europe courtesy of our international airline partner Etihad Airways. Great music at a gorgeous venue and your chance to fly? It’s win-win.

I look forward to welcoming you to the Centre soon.

FROM MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE TO LONDON, PARIS, MUNICH & MORE:Purchase a ticket to any event held during January to March 2016 and you’ll automatically be entered into the draw to win two business class flights to a European destination of your choice*, thanks to Etihad Airways, Melbourne Recital Centre’s international airline partner.

The Centre’s world-class spaces are a perfect match with Etihad’s reimagined flying experience and together we continue to bring the best musicians to Melbourne including Concerto Italiano performing Monteverdi’s Vespers in February 2016.

The more you book, the more chances you have to win but hurry, the competition closes 29 February 2016.

*For a list of destinations and full terms and conditions, visit melbournerecital.com.au/fly

3FOR BOOKINGS VISIT MELBOURNERECITAL.COM.AU OR PHONE 03 9699 3333 • TRANSACTION & DELIVERY FEES MAY APPLY

Space SymphonySpace Symphony takes you on an imaginative journey through the solar system and beyond. Do you know about the stars? What kinds of sounds are in outer space? Young music-lovers go on a voyage of discovery into the bold music of Strauss, Holst and John Williams through iconic compositions such as Also sprach Zarathustra (the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey), Star Wars and the orchestral suite The Planets. The Space Symphony ensemble will demonstrate the brass, winds and string families of the orchestra, offering clues to listening and learning to feel the depth and mystery of these landmark works.

InformationThu 14 January 11amElisabeth Murdoch Hall (45-mins no interval)

Tickets $25

A CDP Production originally presented by Sydney Opera House as part of their Babies Proms Series.

Think of an Adventure with Jay Laga'aiaJay Laga'aia is loved by parents and kids Australia-wide for his appearances on Play School, and he’s coming to town for Music Play. Jay weaves a wondrous story full of fun and mystery with opportunities to join in and share the adventure. All you need is a beautiful smile, your dancing shoes and a big imagination. Jump, laugh, sing and play in a high-energy, interactive musical journey that will capture the imagination and delight audiences of any age.

Melbourne Recital Centre is the best place to discover music, play instruments and make some noise. This summer holiday take off into space, get up and dance or groove to the sound of jazz. Discover music through interactive concerts and fun activities.

InformationSat 16 January 11amElisabeth Murdoch Hall (45-mins no interval)Jay Laga'aia

Tickets $25

Ana Maria Belo presenterMichael Tyack musical directorSpace Symphony Ensemble

All ages

All ages

Jazz Up Your KidsJoin James Morrison and his band in a fun-packed concert exploring various jazz styles, that is sure to get the whole family swinging. James guides you on a journey from Dixieland to bop, from the birth of the Blues to Birdland, introducing you to jazz music and its wonderful musical instruments. Be blown away by James playing 10 different instruments including the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, piano and keytar.

InformationFri 15 January 11amElisabeth Murdoch Hall (45-mins no interval)

Tickets $25

James Morrison trumpetHetty Kate vocalsJazz Combo

8+ years

BOOK TICKET(S) TO ANY JAN—MAR EVENT FOR A CHANCE TO FLY WITH ETIHAD AIRWAYS4

Cabbage SymphonyJoin this hands-on interactive music performance with a chance to play huge marimbas, bow Echocellos, ride musical exercise bikes, jump on dingboxes and yank a cord to activate cosmic ponytails. Cabbage Symphony – you'll instantly be part of the band.

InformationThu 14 January 10am, 11.30am & 1.15pmSalon (45-mins no interval)

WORKSHOPSThe Music MachineUsing movement, body percussion and vocal sounds, children create a living, breathing and moving ‘music machine’. How will it move? What will it sound like? Create your own original human instrument.

Thu 14 January 9.45am, 11am & 12.30pm (45-mins)

Tickets $20 (suitable for ages 5-12)

Uke'n PlayLearn three songs within just 10-minutes of picking up the ukulele – it's that easy. Mike Jackson provides a hands-on introduction to playing the uke and the joys of making music. Ukes provided or bring your own.

Fri 15 January 9.45am, 11am & 12.30pm (45-mins)

Tickets $20 (suitable for ages 6+)

Sing-Swing-PlaySing-Swing-Play is a music and movement workshop for pre-schoolers with autism. Join specialist music educator Melinda Ceresoli and sing favourite nursery rhymes, while dancing and playing instruments. In a safe and supportive environment, children explore the joys of music.

Sat 16 January 9.45am, 11am & 12.30pm (45-mins)

Tickets $20 (suitable for ages 3–5)

Woody Clark

Tickets $18

Jon Madin

Tickets $18

Woody ClarkHue Blanes keyboard

Good Morning Kids ShowWoody’s World is a place where alley-cats sing and dance, mice invite you in for a cup of tea and farm animals gather for a bush dance. Fabulous songs, enchanting stories and puppets take over for some holiday fun. Children dance, sing and play along with Woody and his friends.

InformationSat 16 January 9.30am & 11.15amSalon (45-mins no interval)

Tickets $18

0–8 years 0–8

years

7+ years

FREE FOYER FUNJoin the fun with free interactive experiences.

Thu 14 to Sat 16 January 9am-1pm

Larger than life and impossible to resist, meet the inflatables including the lost Bumble Bee explorer and the Dreamers.

Visit melbournerecital.com.au/musicplay for a complete program

Family Bush DancePut on your colourful socks and dancing shoes for an interactive bush dance with Woody and Friends. Woody’s live shows are filled with simple dances and instructions for young audiences.

InformationSat 16 January 1pmSalon (45-mins no interval)

Yalka Dayan indigenous workshopYalka Dayan means child’s play in the language of the Yorta Yorta people. This child and family-friendly interactive workshop takes participants on a cultural journey involving traditional games, Aboriginal dance, artefacts, workshops and storytelling.

InformationFri 15 January 10am & 12 noonSalon (60-mins no interval)

Tickets $18

Dardee Balagamdail Aboriginal Dance GroupThomas Harrison facilitator

6–12 years

Music Play is supported by inaugural Artist Development & Music Education Benefactor Betty Amsden ao, Mrs Margaret S Ross & Dr Ian Ross, City of Melbourne & Melbourne’s Child


The enigmatic Chan Marshall (who performs under the moniker Cat Power) returns to Australia to perform solo, intimate and up close for two very special shows in the resplendent Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. Marshall in her Cat Power guise has a long and illustrious affinity with the city of Melbourne, having recorded her acclaimed fourth album Moon Pix (1998) at Richmond’s Sing Sing Studios with the backing of her Dirty Three friends Mick Turner (guitar) and Jim White (drums). In time, Moon Pix would change Marshall’s life forever, helping the cult following of her avant-inspired early career blossom into full-blown mainstream acceptance. Rolling Stone magazine said of Moon Pix, ‘it still holds up as one of the 90s great singer/songwriter triumphs’,

while Mess & Noise trumpeted the album as ‘a true masterpiece... which continually impresses.’ The relationship between Cat Power and Melbourne didn’t end there, with Jim White becoming the long-standing drummer of her backing band Dirty Delta Blues and touring the world with her for years. In recent visits Cat Power once again highlighted her undeniable magnetism when she performed three acclaimed shows at the Forum in full-band mode — as well as co-headlining the much-loved Golden Plains Festival — before returning in 2014 for four rapturous nights in solo mode at the Thornbury Theatre. Cat Power’s last album, Sun (2012), featuring the singles ‘Ruin’ and

‘Cherokee’, was the most successful of Cat Power’s career, debuting at #10 on the U.S.

mainstream Billboard charts (a first for her U.S. label Matador) and #2 on Billboard’s Alternative and Independent charts. Her fragile-yet-enigmatic live performances are legendary, so there’s no better time to either introduce yourself or get reacquainted with one of the most magnetic personalities on the world scene today, the one and only Cat Power.

INFORMATIONMon 8 & Tue 9 February 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours & 20-mins incl. interval)Cat Power vocals (USA)A reserve $70B reserve $60Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre

CAT POWER

‘AN ARTIST AT THE PEAK OF HER POWERS FACED THE CROWD AND HER DEMONS ARMED ONLY WITH A GUITAR, A PIANO AND HER COURAGE.’

THE GUARDIAN

CAT POWER


Three astounding musicians with a passion for musical adventure and surprise perform the compositions of Frank Zappa, one of music’s great iconoclasts. A supreme genius of the 1960s counterculture was the Los Angeles composer, arranger, freak and jester. More than brilliant and prolific, Zappa was a new kind of composer, one who knew no stylistic barrier: he bridged rock and pop and rhythm ‘n’ blues and jazz and classical music. Zappa knew no rules of harmony: he would play anything that made sense to him, not to a certain tradition. Returning to Australia to present this special concert is Alessandra Garosi, an exceptional pianist of international standing based in Italy, from a classical background but with a passion

Zappa in Recitalfor many styles of music. Two other virtuosic musicians, well known to Melbourne audiences, join Alessandra; multi-instrumentalist and composer, Adam Simmons and master drummer David Jones.

INFORMATION

Mon 8 February 7pmSalon (One hour no interval)Alessandra Garosi pianoAdam Simmons saxophones/clarinetsDavid Jones drumsTickets $30 ($25 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Adam Simmons

DEVA PREMAL, MITEN & MANOSE

Deva Premal and Miten with Manose offer a special evening of inspiring chants and music. Their chants are something of a musical balm to calm the nerves and nourish the spirit. Deva and Miten began their journey into love, music and meditation in 1990 when they met at an ashram in India while studying meditation. Since then they have committed themselves to a nomadic existence, intent on sharing a life carried on the wings of these powerful healing formulas, known to the world as mantra. Deva and Miten have released a string of CDs since their first, The Essence (1998), which rocketed to the top of the Alternative music charts

Deva Premal & Miten with Manose

around the world. Their annual world tour, which includes 25 countries annually, attracts thousands of devotees.

INFORMATION

Wed 10 February 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Three hours incl. interval)Deva Premal vocals/keyboardMiten vocals/guitarManose flute/voice/percussionA reserve $53.90B reserve $43.90Presented by Chris Hooper Promotions


This exquisite blend of chamber ensemble and jazz quintet features the ethereal beauty of Chris McNulty’s voice and musical story telling amidst Steve Newcomb’s seamlessly woven, finely crafted orchestrations. With the repertoire put together as an homage to McNulty’s son, Sam, it features unique treatments of classics such as ‘Where Is Love’, ‘What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life’, ‘Nature Boy’, ‘A Flower is a Lovesome Thing’ and ‘On a Clear Day.’ These tunes are re-imagined in a new light by McNulty's deft touch to connect powerfully with the core of each lyric.

INFORMATION

Sat 13 February 7pmSalon (One hour no interval)Chris McNulty vocalsSteve Newcomb Chamber EnsembleTickets $30 ($25 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Chris McNulty

Eternal‘MCNULTY APPLIES POIGNANT JAZZ CHOPS TO THE VOCAL, WHILE ACCOMPLISHING THE IMPOSSIBLE, THE EXPRESSION OF HER STORY THROUGH SONG… MAKING LISTENERS RETHINK THE MEANING OF WHY WE LOVE JAZZ. ETERNAL IS BOTH EASY TO LOVE, AND PROFOUNDLY TOUCHING.’ ALL ABOUT JAZZ

CHRIS MCNULTY

For the very first time in Australia, the producers of ‘Distant Worlds: music from Final Fantasy’ present ‘A New World: intimate music from Final Fantasy’, an incredible new concert experience. With acclaimed music director and violin soloist Arnie Roth, renowned piano soloist Benyamin Nuss and the New World Players chamber ensemble, ‘A New World’ is developed in close collaboration with legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, and joins Distant Worlds as an officially licensed production with the full support of the renowned game developer Square Enix. It introduces audiences to the rich music from Final Fantasy on a personal and intimate scale as yet to be experienced in Australia.

INFORMATION

Sun 14 February 7pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)Arnie Roth violin/conductorBenyamin Nuss pianoThe New World PlayersPremium $65A reserve $55B reserve $48C reserve $40 ($36 concession)Presented by AWR Music Productions, LLC

A New World: intimate music from Final Fantasy

ARNIE ROTH


Baroque music is set to 21st-century words in this brand new operatic work of love, loss and hope. In the world premiere of this Baroque pasticcio inspired by the Renaissance poem Orlando Furioso, a knight’s journey to the Moon is brought to life by leading Australian singers, soprano Emma Matthews and mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell, and brilliant newcomer, bass-baritone Jeremy Kleeman. Discover Handel and Vivaldi gems

and rare 18th-century treasures re-imagined with a libretto by theatre legend Michael Gow. Featuring an ensemble of leading chamber musicians led from the harpsichord by Phoebe Briggs, Voyage to the Moon was devised in partnership with the Australian Research Council of Excellence for the History of Emotions with music realised by renowned musicologist, the late Alan Curtis and composer Calvin Bowman.

VOYAGE TO THE MOON

INFORMATION

Mon 15, Tue 16, Thu 18 & Fri 19 February 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (80-mins no interval)Voyage to the MoonMichael Gow writerEmma Matthews sopranoSally-Anne Russell mezzo-sopranoJeremy Kleeman bass-baritoneSeven of Australia’s best chamber musicians led by Phoebe Briggs harpsichordPremium $155 ($134 concession)A reserve $129 ($112 concession)B reserve $90 ($78 concession) C reserve $60 ($52 concession)Co-presented by Musica Viva & Victorian Opera

SALLY-ANNE RUSSELL, EMMA MATTHEWS, PHOEBE BRIGGS & JEREMY KLEEMAN


London-based Jo Quail plays a bespoke electric cello that combines traditional playing methods with extended technique, generating rich orchestration and percussive sounds to create ‘majestic soundscapes’. Each performance is a journey, an invitation to explore a musical landscape that Jo creates fearlessly from her interaction with the cello.

‘The classical musical world is slowly being transformed by a new wave of performers who are as adept with an effects board as they are with a cello bow. English cellist Jo Quail is a prime example. She plays a skeletal electric cello hooked up to a loop station and effects pedals. She doesn’t need a band; she can do it all herself and that includes composing all the music.’ Adelaide Advertiser

INFORMATION

Thu 18 February 7pmSalon (One hour no interval)Jo Quail electric cello (UK)Tickets $39 ($29 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Arelmusic

Electric Cello

JO QUAIL

BENAUD TRIO

SOUTHBANK SERIES

HomageA celebration of humanity through music.

Saddened by the passing of their namesake, Richie Benaud in April 2015, the Benaud Trio (Lachlan Bramble violin, Ewen Bramble cello & Amir Farid piano) have commissioned a tribute to the great man from the award winning pen of composer and cricket tragic Iain Grandage. Appropriately coupled with Schubert’s epic and heroic Trio in E-flat, Homage is a celebration of humanity through music.

INFORMATION

Sat 20 February 3pm & 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)GRANDAGE ‘Richie’SCHUBERT Piano Trio No.2 in E-flat, Op.100Benaud TrioTickets $39 ($29 concession)Two concert 2016 package $66 ($49 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Benaud Trio


Kev Carmody is one of Australia’s pre-eminent singer/songwriters, a wordsmith whose often politically charged and socially aware lyrics early in his career found him described as ‘Australia’s black Bob Dylan’. Of Aboriginal and Irish heritage, both cultures famous for oral histories in song, he was born to be a story-teller. Kev has just released 40 songs for a four CD set that spans over 40-years of writing — all songs never before recorded. To coincide with this release Brendan Fletcher

(Mad Bastards) has documented the journey of this pre-eminent creative talent in the ABC TV production Songman. Kev’s best-known composition (with Paul Kelly) is ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’, based on the story of the Gurindji Strike and Vincent Lingiari as part of the struggle for indigenous land rights and reconciliation. In 2007 some of Australia’s most celebrated musicians came together to record some of Kev’s songs with the Cannot Buy My Soul album and concerts spreading

the wisdom, common-sense and evocative message in Kev’s music to a wider audience.

INFORMATION

Sat 20 February 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)Kev Carmody vocalsA reserve $55B reserve $45Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre

Kev Carmody

KEV CARMODY

‘POET. RADICAL. GRANDAD. NATIONAL TREASURE.’

SONGMAN


Monteverdi’s VespersConcerto Italiano

A soaring, sublime evocation of heavenly power.

‘THERE ARE FEW PERFORMERS BETTER-VERSED IN THE MUSIC OF CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI THAN RINALDO ALESSANDRINI AND THE ENSEMBLE HE FOUNDED 30-YEARS AGO, CONCERTO ITALIANO.’ THE GUARDIAN (UK)

RINALDO ALESSANDRINI

Claudio Monteverdi composed his Vespro della Beata Vergine in 1610 to demonstrate his mastery of voices and instruments. Blending Baroque operatic theatricality with the hallowed traditions of sacred music, the Vespers are a soaring, sublime evocation of heavenly power and the glory of 17th-century Venice — as gorgeous and awe-inspiring as its cathedral, the Basilica of Saint Mark. This glittering mosaic contrasting thrilling choruses, intimate ensembles and delicate instrumental music was almost instantly

recognised as a masterpiece, a position it has held for 400 years. The musicians and choir of Concerto Italiano, one of the world’s most celebrated early music ensembles, performs Monteverdi’s Vespers on instruments of the period, vividly recreating the brilliant colours of this iconic work. Directed by Rinaldo Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano is acclaimed for its interpretation of Italian Baroque music, especially that of Monteverdi, recording one of the best-reviewed performances of the Vespers, and moving audiences around the world.

INFORMATIONTue 23 & Wed 24 February 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)MONTEVERDI Vespro della Beata VergineConcerto Italiano (Italy)Rinaldo Alessandrini director (Italy)Premium $159A reserve $139 ($129 concession)B reserve $119 ($105 concession)C reserve $89Presented by Melbourne Recital CentreThese performances by Concerto Italiano are generously supported by Lady Primrose Potter ac, Yvonne von Hartel am & Robert Peck am


CONCERTO ITALIANO

BASILICA OF SAINT MARK

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643) IS ONE OF THE GREATEST COMPOSERS IN MUSIC

HISTORY, OFTEN CONSIDERED THE MOZART OR BEETHOVEN OF HIS AGE.

Athough his music is far less known than Mozart or Beethoven, Monteverdi had a long, superlative career and distinguished himself in all the musical genres of his time. His work, often regarded as revolutionary, marked the musical change from the Renaissance to that of the Baroque period. Monteverdi was a key developer of the (at the time) new genre opera, and heralded a ‘modern’ secular spirit into church music.

Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 is exceptional for its assimilation of both old and new styles, astonishing for the grandeur of its conception and the opulence of its sound and in 1610, was unprecedented. No other surviving work from the time is written on such a scale, combining the grandest of public music with the most intimate of solo songs. Monteverdi’s unique approach to each movement of the Vespers earned the work a place in history. It requires a choir large and skilful enough to cover up to 10 vocal parts in some movements and split into separate choirs in others while accompanying seven different soloists during the course of the piece.

There are few performers better versed in the music of Claudio Monteverdi than Rinaldo Alessandrini and the ensemble he founded 30 years ago, Concerto Italiano. Established in 1984 by harpsichordist Alessandrini, the group gave its debut concert in Rome that year, under his direction performing Francesco Cavalli’s opera La Calisto. Alessandrini has remained the group’s music director since its founding. The group gradually built a reputation in Europe as one of Italy’s finest Baroque vocal ensembles drawing international notice for a recording of Monteverdi’s Fourth Book of Madrigals, which received a 1994 Gramophone award, the first of four. The following year Alessandrini formed the orchestral ensemble. In 1997 the vocal ensemble debuted in Japan drawing lavish praise while the orchestral ensemble drew an equally enthusiastic response for its American debut in 1999 at Lincoln Center. Concerto Italiano’s numerous recordings have revolutionised our perception of Baroque masterpieces and the ensemble has firmly established itself with critics and audiences as the best of its kind in the world today.


Enter the world of Schubert with the Seraphim Trio.

Buoyed by the stunning audience response to its celebration of the complete piano trios of Beethoven in 2015, Seraphim Trio (Helen Ayres violin, Tim Nankervis cello & Anna Goldsworthy piano) invites you to enter the world of Schubert. In 2016, the Trio performs the complete piano trio works of Schubert. This first concert begins with the rarely performed piano quartet (Adagio & Rondo Concertante in F) and the composer’s two single movement works for piano trio. Seraphim Trio will be joined by violist Jacqui Cronin and bassist David Campbell to perform the perennial Schubert favourite, the ‘Trout’ Quintet.

WaterHarpist Michael Johnson presents a concert of music inspired by the spirit of life’s many changes as reflected through the ebb and flow of the natural world. Michael is resident harpist and composer at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Michael’s compositions present a rich, colourful tapestry — a meditative, inspiring and uplifting musical journey through the portals of the harp, piano and guitar.

INFORMATION

Thu 25 February 7pmSalon (One hour no interval)Michael Johnson harpTickets $30 ($25 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Michael Johnson

SOUTHBANK SERIES

INFORMATION

Wed 24 February 7pmSalon (One hour & 40-mins incl. interval)SCHUBERTPiano Trio in B-flat, SonatensatzAdagio & Rondo Concertante in F for piano quartet, D487Notturno in E-flat, D.897Piano Quintet in A, D.667 ‘Trout’Seraphim TrioJacqui Cronin violaDavid Campbell bassTickets $50 ($40 concession)Two concert 2016 package $85 ($68 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Seraphim Trio

Schubertiade

VCE Top Class 2016: DanceEnjoy the beauty and passion of dance presented by VCE Dance and VCE VET Dance students from 2015. Top Class Dance 2016 presents a range of VET dance styles and both VCE dance technique and composition solos. Compered by assessors, the concerts provide examples of top performing students and insights into preparing for VCE performance examinations. A full program will be available in January at melbournerecital.com.au

INFORMATION

Thu 25 February 10.30am & 2pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (One hour & 15-mins no interval)Tickets $15 ($13 regional concession)Two concerts $27 ($23 regional concession)Part of the VCE Season of Excellence 2016 presented by the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority

SERAPHIM TRIO

MICHAEL JOHNSON


The Victoria Welsh Choir, under the leadership of its award-winning Musical Director, Faleiry Koczkar oam, presents a program of Welsh and Celtic music, featuring beautiful four-part harmony and rousing male choral singing to make your heart soar. Faleiry’s guest on the podium will be popular Welsh conductor Rob Nicholls, who returns to Victoria for the St David’s Day celebrations. Also performing will be Scottish pipers, and the a capella group Co-cheòl (the name is Gaelic for harmony).

INFORMATION

Fri 26 February 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours & 30-mins incl. interval)Victoria Welsh ChoirFaleiry Koczkar oam musical directorTickets $46 ($43 concession & $20 child)Presented by Victoria Welsh Choir

St David’s Day Welsh Celtic CelebrationVICTORIA WELSH CHOIR

Melbourne guitarists James Sherlock and Stephen Magnusson reprise their acclaimed solo concert collaboration from 2013. Both have produced solo guitar albums, and will each present solo works, interspersed with duo performances, featuring their intimate musical dialogue on both originals and standards. Co-winner of the 2000 National Jazz Guitar Award, Magnusson’s solo album 14 Creatures was released on ABC Jazz in 2008 to critical acclaim. In 2013 he was the recipient of the Outstanding Musician Award in the Melbourne Prize, as well as the Australian Jazz Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Sherlock, winner of the 1997 Ike Isaacs International Jazz Guitar Award and nominated for the Freedman Jazz Fellowship in 2005, released his first solo guitar album, Solo, on the Pinnacles label in 2009. He has toured internationally in his duo with vocalist Kristin Berardi over several years (with a past European tour culminating at the Montreux Jazz Festival as opening act for George Benson and Al Jarreau).

James Sherlock & Stephen Magnusson

INFORMATON

Fri 26 February 7pmSalon (One hour no interval)James Sherlock guitarStephen Magnusson guitarTickets $30 ($25 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Melbourne Jazz Co-operative

JAMES SHERLOCK

STEPHEN MAGNUSSON

Melbourne Recital Centre Members belong to a diverse community of music lovers who receive exclusive access to a range of experiences, benefits and discounts - from backstage meet-and-greets with stellar local and international performers to special ticket offers, waived transaction fees on all bookings and discounts on food and drinks.

Become a Melbourne Recital Centre Member for just $50 a year, immerse yourself in a world of music and take advantage of the exclusive benefits, including 10% off the bill at popular French-Asian eatery, Blondie Bar. See the show, stay for a drink and share your love of music with us.

For more information, visit melbournerecital.com.au/membership or call 03 9699 3333 during business hours. *Terms & conditions apply

Membership: get closer to the music that moves you.


NATALIE PRASS

Maurice Steger, the world’s leading Baroque recorder soloist, is a virtuoso capable of unleashing an impossible torrent of notes one moment, and the most lyrical, heartbreaking phrase the next. He launches the first Australian Brandenburg Orchestra 2016 concert with the most challenging, virtuosic piece Vivaldi ever wrote — the Concerto in G for recorder. What follows next are masterpieces from giants such as Telemann and Handel — pieces championed by Steger in concerts across the world and for which he has won many prestigious awards. In an inspired partnership, Steger and Australian Brandenburg Orchestra artistic director Paul Dyer co-direct the Orchestra in Australian premieres of works by Gallo, Rittler and Fiorenza, magical treasures Paul has unearthed. Fasten your seatbelts and wait to see which of his 20 recorders Maurice chooses to thrill us with.

MAURICE STEGER: RECORDER REVOLUTIONARY

INFORMATION

Sat 27 February 7pm & Sun 28 February 5pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)VIVALDI Concerto in G RV 443GALLO Sonata No.12 in G minor, La FolliaTELEMANN Concerto for 3 trumpets in D, TWV 54:D4FIORENZA Sinfonia in A minorHANDEL Overture to Judas Maccabeus HWV 63VIVALDI Concerto in D, Il gardellino RV 428RITTLER Ciaccona a 7 in CGEMINIANI Concerto for recorder No.10 in F(After Corelli’s Op. 5 violin sonatas)Australian Brandenburg OrchestraMaurice Steger Baroque recorders/guest director (Switzerland)Premium $158A reserve $135B reserve $98 ($71 pensioner & $44 student)C reserve $68 ($51 pensioner & $33 student)Tickets on sale 1 DecemberPresented by Australian Brandenburg Orchestra


NATALIE PRASSPhoto: Shawn Brackbill

NATALIE PRASS

Since the release of her stunning self-titled debut album in January of this year, Natalie Prass has mesmerised fans and critics alike with her refreshing take on the singer/songwriter tradition. Produced by Prass’ childhood friend and Spacebomb studios founder Matthew E. White, the record displays a timeless poise, composure and intimacy, earning widespread comparisons to Dusty Springfield’s 1969 blue-eyed soul masterwork Dusty In Memphis.The record’s received an ecstatic response for its lush, melancholic narratives and beautiful arrangements, earning a prestigious ‘Best New Album’ accolade from Pitchfork, generating a ‘Ten New Artists You Need To Know’ slot from Rolling Stone and a gushing 5 star review from The Guardian (who fawned over Prass and her ‘spellbinding country soul’).

But while the ascension of Natalie Prass may seem meteoric to outsiders, in reality it’s the culmination of a life-long love affair with the musical form. From beginnings as the only girl playing in teenage bands, her professional career began as keyboardist for Jenny Lewis’ touring band and at just 29 she played a stint with Matthew E. White (who eventually co-produced her).

Melbourne Recital Centre is pleased to debut her indubitable skills ahead of Golden Plains Festival.

INFORMATION

Mon 29 February 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)Natalie Prass vocalsWith special guestsTickets $55Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre in arrangement with Handsome Tours

‘THIS DEBUT ALBUM FROM NASHVILLE-BASED ARTIST NATALIE PRASS IS STUNNING.’ THE MUSIC

‘SPELL BINDING COUNTRY-SOUL.’ THE GUARDIAN


YOUR BUSINESS

CLASS TICKETS TO FLY

Purchase a ticket to any event held during January to March 2016 and you’ll automatically be entered into the draw to win two business class flights to a European destination of your choice*, thanks to Etihad Airways, Melbourne Recital Centre’s International Airline Partner.

The more you book, the more chances you have to win but hurry, the competition closes 29 February 2016.

*For a list of destinations and full terms and conditions, visit melbournerecital.com.au/fly

BOOK ANY CONCERT TICKET BEFORE 29 FEBRUARY TO WIN

Ears Wide Open 1The stately beauties of J.S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.3 culminate in the celebrated Italianate aria — one of Bach’s most inspired compositions. Its more familiar name, Air on the G String, refers to a later arrangement, not by Bach. When Goethe heard the Suite performed on the piano by Mendelssohn, he compared the music to ‘a procession of elegantly dressed people proceeding down a great staircase’. Join Australia’s most charismatic musical personality Richard Gill and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on an interactive journey through this immortal piece of music.

LOCAL HEROES 2016

Gulyás (goulash); Hungarian tales of food, love & other creaturesThe Stiletto Sisters ride into town on their horse to perform well known and loved compositions by contemporary and past composers including Johannes Brahms, István Szelényi, Zoltán Kodály, György Ligeti and Béla Bartók, plus works by gypsy composers Sándor and Robie Lakatos. The Sisters also perform popular and folk songs about mysterious recipes, flirtatious girls and a horse with a long, sad face. In their 2016 series of two concerts, Hungarian violinist Hope Csutoros, and musical sisters Jo To (double bass) and Judy Gunson (accordion) explore the virtuosic and often humorous world of Hungarian instrumental and vocal music as it touches on the business of life, love and food.

INFORMATION

Wed 2 March 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)Stiletto SistersTickets $39 ($29 concession)Two concert 2016 package $66 ($49 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Stiletto Sisters

LOCAL HEROES 2016

Music of Great Renaissance Chapels: The Sistine Chapel

The choir books of the Sistine Chapel preserve an embarrassment of riches from the Renaissance. This concert by Ensemble Gombert presents works from three major singer-composers representative of their respective generations – Josquin Desprez, Cristóbal de Morales and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Half the program is devoted to Palestrina’s great Missa Papae Marcelli, the work often credited with having saved polyphonic music from the Council of Trent’s reformers. Founded in 1990, Ensemble Gombert is named after the composer Nicolas Gombert (c.1495-1560) and is known for its pure intonation and historical approach to choral sound and style. The Ensemble specialises in a cappella performance of Franco-Flemish music of the High Renaissance, although its repertoire spans the Classical, Romantic and modern periods.

INFORMATION

Tue 1 March 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)DESPREZAve MariaInviolata, integra, et casta es MariaBenedicta es, caelorum ReginaMORALESMagnificat primi toniTu es PetrusPALESTRINAMissa Papae MarcelliEnsemble GombertTickets $39 ($29 concession)Two concert 2016 package $66 ($49 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Ensemble Gombert

INFORMATION

Tue 1 March 6.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (90-mins no interval)J.S. BACH Orchestral Suite No.3 (excerpts)Melbourne Symphony OrchestraRichard Gill conductor/hostTickets $25 ($22 concession)* *Prices are subject to change without notice

Presented by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.3

ENSEMBLE GOMBERT

STILETTO SISTERS

RICHARD GILL


DEJAN LAZIĆ

G R E A T P E R F O R M E R S 2 0 1 6M E L B O U R N E R E C I TA L C E N T R E

D E J A N L A Z IP I A N O

P I E R R E - L A U R E N T A I M A R DP I A N O

C A M I L L A T I L L I N GS O P R A N O

A L E X A N D E R G AV R Y LY U KP I A N O

M I D O R IV I O L I N

L A R S V O G TP I A N O

B A I B A S K R I D EV I O L I N

C H R I S T I A N E O E L Z ES O P R A N O

X U E F E I YA N GG U I TA R

What does it take to be a ‘great’ performer? Is it a life-long commitment perfecting technique, an extraordinary gift for communication, the experience of decades of concert-giving, teaching and learning? It’s all that and a little bit more. Add an essential element of charisma and we have all the qualities that set our line-up of 2016 artists apart. It’s that flash of brilliance that makes Great Performers such a thrilling series. I’ve enjoyed the previous five seasons of Great Performers immensely, and it’s such a pleasure now to have the opportunity to curate this sixth season of one of Australia’s must-hear concert series.

You’ll encounter a wonderfully varied selection of artists and repertoire in 2016. Take for example the program devised by Croatian pianist Dejan Lazić which roams from the dynamic Baroque fireworks of C.P.E. Bach and Scarlatti, to Bartók and Britten. Or Alexander Gavrylyuk’s program of barnstorming Romantic virtuoso masterpieces. Two sopranos, Camilla Tilling (Sweden) and Christiane Oelze (Germany), each sing music from the heart of the German lieder repertoire, but also Berlioz’s beloved song-cycle Nuits d’éte and satirical, jazz-inflected Weimar Kabarett.

Midori (Japan/USA) is an artist who possesses the wisdom of the ages while remaining eternally youthful, making her the ideal interpreter of Mozart and Brahms. In a similar vein, pianist Lars Vogt (Germany), an intense and thought-provoking musician, gives a soul-stirring recital comprised of two of the grandest works in the history of music, Beethoven’s last piano sonata (Op.111) and J.S. Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations’. We’ll also experience some of the icons of 20th-century chamber music including one of the most sublime: Messiaen’s Vingt regards performed by the legendary French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard. Latvian violinist Baiba Skride plays Shostakovich’s late Violin Sonata, a work of searing intensity. Finally, it’s a delight to present classical guitarist Xuefei Yang (China) for two reasons: first, she is simply one of the finest guitarists in the world and a preternaturally graceful musician, and second, she will perform a new work, Melbourne Arioso, by eminent Australian composer Ross Edwards. Ross is writing the work for Fei to play for you at her recital; a rare opportunity to be among the first to hear something nobody has heard before and be present as a piece of art comes into existence. This is a great way to end a year of great performance. Join us.

M A R S H A L L M C G U I R E H E A D O F A R T I S T I C P L A N N I N G I N T R O D U C E S G R E A T P E R F O R M E R S 2 0 1 6

B O O K N O W : M E L B O U R N E R E C I T A L . C O M . A U /G R E A T P E R F O R M E R S 2 0 1 6 | 0 3 9 6 9 9 3 3 3 3

A F L A S H O F B R I L L I A N C E | S e a s o n p a c k a g e s f r o m $ 2 0 4


Dejan Lazić is one of music’s boldest time travellers, jumping centuries in the course of an evening. 20th-century modernists meet 18th-century radicals in an artfully arranged sequence of fleet and fabulous fantasias, sonatas and dances by four innovative composers, played with dexterity, subtlety and insight by the young maverick.

Born in Zagreb and raised in Salzburg by a musical family, Lazić was practically destined to be one of the most exciting pianists in Europe, with a mercurial imagination and fingers to match. Lazić has worked with the Australian Chamber Orchestra on a Beethoven concerto cycle, won awards for Rachmaninoff with the London Philharmonic and ‘discovered’ a third Brahms piano concerto by arranging the composer’s violin concerto for his instrument.

But it’s in the more intimate realm of the recital that Lazić has earned his reputation for unpredictable yet intuitively ‘right’ programming. His Liaisons series of concerts and recordings bring together works of vastly different ages and aesthetics to discover the hidden affinities between them: the way C.P.E. Bach’s moody dramas rhyme with those of the young Britten, or Scarlatti’s playful spirit melts into Bartók’s folksy humour. Lazić urges us to hear these pieces anew, guiding us with wit, heart and an infectious sense of adventure.

INFORMATION

Wed 2 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)Free pre-concert talk 6.45pmC.P.E. BACH selected sonatas & fantasiasBRITTENHoliday Diary, Op.5SCARLATTI selected sonatasBARTÓKSix Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm (from Mikrokosmos Volume Six)Funeral March (from the symphonic poem, Kossuth), BB 31Three Rondos on Slovak Folk Tunes, BB 92Dejan Lazić piano (Croatia)Premium $115A reserve $100 ($50 concession)B reserve $85 ($50 concession)C reserve $60 ($50 concession)Four concert Great Performers series package from $204Presented by Melbourne Recital CentreSeries partner: Legal Friends of Melbourne Recital CentreProgram partners: The Langham Melbourne, ABC Classic FM, Henkell Brothers & Great Performers Leadership Circle

GREAT PERFORMERS 2016

Dejan Lazić Liaisons

DEJAN LAZIĆ

‘A POWERHOUSE PERFORMER WHOSE PLAYING COMBINES STRENGTH WITH BEAUTY.’

THE GUARDIAN

P E R F O R M E R S 2 0 1 6


Renowned Spanish harpsichordist and scholar Luisa Morales presents an imaginary encounter between Jean-Philippe Rameau and Domenico Scarlatti, contrasting French ‘Bon Goût’ with Spanish ‘Buen Gusto’ in a program that features their surprisingly different approaches to the dance novelty of the era: the fandango.

INFORMATION

Thu 3 March 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)Works by Rameau and Scarlatti.Luisa Morales harpsichord (Spain)Tickets $39 ($29 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre

The Australian String Quartet (ASQ) begins their first concert for 2016 with Beethoven, arguably the supreme master of the string quartet. His Op.18 No.6 is a breakthrough work, the most forward-looking of his early quartets. In an all Australian collaboration with the dynamic percussionist, Claire Edwardes, the ASQ present an exciting new work by Matthew Hindson. Rounding out the program is the luscious first quartet of Robert Schumann alongside American minimalist, John Adams, in a selection of irresistibly funky dances.

A Taste of SpainTraverse Spain with a one hour performance by acclaimed international soprano Stefania Bellamio and guitarist Massimo Scattolin whilst tasting the country’s delectable cuisine. Hosted by award-winning chef Stefano di Pieri (Mildura Brewery), Melbourne Recital Centre takes you on a tantalising tour into the culinary essence of the country’s food and music. Stefania and Massimo, acclaimed around the world for their superb artistry, perform a selection of songs by poet and musician Garcia Lorca and his student Manuel de Falla, capturing all the passion, joy, sadness and colour that characterises Spanish music. A Taste of Spain is sure to feed more than one sense.

INFORMATION

Fri 4 March 6.30pm & Sat 5 March 12 noonSalon (Two hours)Stefano de Pieri chefStefania Bellamio sopranoMassimo Scattolin guitarTickets $100 (includes a selection of tapas, dessert & wine)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre in celebration of Melbourne Food & Wine Festival

SALON SOLO

Luisa MoralesDomenico Scarlatti, Jean-Philippe Rameau & the duel over ‘Good Taste’

INFORMATION

Thu 3 March 7pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours including interval)BEETHOVEN String Quartet in B-flat Op.18 No.6HINDSON New work for string quartet & percussion (word premiere)ADAMS (arr Edwardes) Excerpts from John’s Book of Alleged Dances with hand percussionSCHUMANN String Quartet No.1 in A minor, Op.41, No.1Australian String QuartetClaire Edwards percussionTickets $83 ($63 concession & U30s $30)Presented by Australian String Quartet

Alleged Dances

LUISA MORALES

DALE BARLTROP, VIOLIN I

STEFANO DE PIERI

THE NECKS

Photo: Jacqui Way


Band of Brothers‘THE GRIGORYAN AND TAWADROS BROTHERS JOINED FORCES IN A DISPLAY OF IMPROVISED AND ORGANISED GENIUS.’ ABC RADIO

Slava and Leonard, Joseph and James — one super group, two sets of siblings, four internationally acclaimed musicians. Whichever way you look at it, this brotherly collaboration displays sibling revelry at its best. Slava and Leonard Grigoryan are regarded as two of Australia’s finest classical guitarists. Joseph Tawadros is a master of the oud, whilst James has made a name for himself as a world-class

percussionist specialising on the req, an Egyptian tambourine. Performances by Band of Brothers are marked by group artistry of the highest order with repertoire that crosses cultural and stylistic barriers — from world music to jazz, classical and traditional. Combining technical virtuosity and improvisation, audiences are taken on a musical journey defying categorisation.

INFORMATIONFri 4 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours including interval)Slava & Leonard Grigoryan guitarsJoseph Tawadros oud & James Tawadros reqTickets $50 ($40 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Grigoryan Brothers

JOSEPH & JAMES TAWADRO

SLAVA & LEONARD GRIGORYAN

Melbourne Recital Centre is delighted to welcome back one of the most distinctive and enthralling groups in music — The Necks. The hard-earned, almost telepathic rapport that Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck have developed over the past 26 years is truly one of the most compelling in live music and it is with much anticipation that this formidable group returns to Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. Featuring mesmerising pieces that slowly unravel and insistent deep grooves, the deceptive simplicity of their music throws forth new charms on each hearing. Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz, the music of The Necks is possibly unique in the world today.

INFORMATION

Sat 5 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)The NecksA reserve $55B reserve $45Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre

‘THE NECKS SHINE IN THE PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT OF MELBOURNE

RECITAL CENTRE.’ THE AGE

The Necks

THE NECKS


Proportion, balance, elegance — the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra (MCO) performs four iconic works, offering four very different visions of classical beauty. Two of the most enduring works from Mozart’s artistic zenith showcase his extraordinary emotional range as a mature composer. Audience favourite David Griffiths performs the solo in the serene Clarinet Concerto, Mozart’s final concerto work, which contrasts with one of his most tempestuous visions, the Symphony No.40 in G minor. Ravishingly beautiful French vignettes for harp and strings epitomise the clarity of spirit of turn-of-the century French music. Brilliant young harpist Melina van Leeuwen joins MCO to perform in Ravel’s sparkling Introduction and Allegro and Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane.

SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Beauty & the Brass

Montreal, post-rock collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor continues to release genre defining albums and perform breathtaking live shows. Returning to Australian shores for a handful of gigs, Godspeed You! Black Emperor showcases their 2015 album Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress and songs from their critically acclaimed back catalogue. Godspeed You! Black Emperor has gained a reputation for their mesmerising live shows marked by orchestral dynamics, epic rock power and clunky, beautiful film loops. This is a truly rare evening in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, not to be missed. ‘As a listener, to give yourself over to this kind of soaring music, allowing yourself to be carried away, implies a certain amount of trust. Godspeed You! Black Emperor record

INFORMATION

Sun 6 March 2.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)RAVEL Introduction and AllegroMOZARTSymphony No.40 in G minor, K550Clarinet Concerto, K622DEBUSSY Danses sacrée et profaneDavid Griffiths clarinetMelina van Leeuwen harpMelbourne Chamber OrchestraWilliam Hennessy directorPremium $119 ($109 concession)A reserve $99 ($89 concession)B reserve $79 ($69 concession)C reserve $59 ($49 concession)Under 40s $40Presented by Melbourne Chamber Orchestra

Classical Visions

Australian Baroque Brass (ABB) are committed to bringing Australia and the world the very best in period brass, vocal and instrumental music. Led by Australia’s foremost Baroque trumpet virtuoso John Foster, ABB continues to pioneer period instrument brass playing in Australia, as well as pushing the boundaries of performing excellence, with innovative programs of the finest of authentic Renaissance, Baroque and Classical music. Beauty & the Brass is a carefully crafted program by artistic director John Foster and features a sublime collection of some of the most loved Baroque music for voice with brass and organ performed on period instruments. ABB will be joined by special guest Anna Sandström (soprano) — one of Australia’s most beautiful Baroque voices. With music by Handel, Purcell, Monteverdi, Schmelzer and much more, come and immerse yourself in the rare, pure and angelic sounds of Australian Baroque Brass.

INFORMATION

Mon 7 March 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)Australian Baroque BrassAnna Sandström sopranoTickets $39 ($29 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Australian Baroque BrassSupported by The Robert Salzer Foundation

Godspeed You! Black Emperorand play instrumental pieces that exist to move you, using only the force of music, and in a space where sound is the primary context. It’s a different kind of transaction. You have to let your guard down, and Godspeed have to transform feelings into compelling records. They’re still on track.’ Pitchfork

INFORMATION

Mon 7 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (90-mins no interval)Godspeed You! Black Emperor (Canada)A reserve $85B reserve $75Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre in arrangement with Handsome Tours

DAVID GRIFFITHS

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR

ANNA SANDSTRÖM


Musica Viva’s 2016 Coffee Concert season opens with a dazzling display of piano power from two of Australia’s mightiest players, Michael Kieran Harvey and Timothy Young. The subtle richness of Debussy’s En blanc et noir paves the way for Stravinsky’s blockbuster The Rite of Spring, arranged by the composer for two pianos.

INFORMATION

Tue 8 March 11am (morning tea from 10am)Elisabeth Murdoch Hall (One hour no interval)DEBUSSY En blanc et noirSTRAVINSKY The Rite of SpringMichael Kieran Harvey & Timothy Young pianoTickets $51 (includes cake & refreshments)Presented by Musica Viva

Michael Gira (Swans)Michael Gira is one of the most important voices emanating from North America today. Over the past four decades, his work as a solo artist and with his bands Swans and Angels of Light, have resonated deeply and inspired generations of musicians. On the cusp of the final Swans tour in its current form, Gira visits Melbourne for a rare solo performance, his first in almost a decade. He performs works from all his projects, weaving together an intense and personal vision of contemporary song.

INFORMATION

Tue 8 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours & 20-mins incl. interval)Michael Gira (USA)Tickets $50Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre with the support of Room40

Michael Kieran Harvey & Timothy Young

‘FOR GIRA, GOING ACOUSTIC IS ABOUT DRAWING OUT THE DYNAMICS, THE DRAMA AND

THREAT OF HIS MUSIC BY SLICING IT TO THE BARE BONE.’

THE GUARDIAN

MICHAEL KIERAN HARVEY TIMOTHY YOUNG

MICHAEL GIRA


SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Melissa Doecke and Mark Isaacs present an inspiring program of Australian and French music for flute and piano from their new CD collaboration Ulpirra Sonatines. This concert features Isaacs’ own Sonatine and The River commissioned by Melissa, Ross Edwards’ evocative Ocean Idyll and lively Ulpirra. Inspiration lies in the sublime French works by Poulenc and Dutilleux also on the program. Melissa Doecke is one of Australia’s most exciting flautists, with a busy career of performances across the entire repertoire for flute. Hailed as ‘a splendid musical mind’ by The Los Angeles Times, Mark Isaacs has achieved widespread recognition as a pianist and composer working in both classical music and jazz.

INFORMATIONWed 9 March 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)ISAACSSonatineThe RiverDUTILLEUX Sonatine for flute & pianoISAACS & DOECKE ‘Three Improvisations’EDWARDSOcean IdyllUlpirraPOULENC Sonata for flute & pianoMelissa Doecke fluteMark Isaacs pianoTickets $39 ($29 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre and Melissa Doecke & Mark IsaacsSupported by The Robert Salzer Foundation

Ulpirra Sonatines — Australian & French flute music

MELISSA DOECKE & MARK ISAACS

VCE Top Class 2016: MusicThe Top Class Music concerts feature inspirational students who received very high grades for their VCE performance examinations in 2015. Compered by assessors, they present a range of instruments, interpretations and styles by soloists and groups. This is an opportunity to enjoy a wonderful concert series suitable for all ages. A full program will be available early February at melbournerecital.com.au

INFORMATION

Thu 10 March 10.30am, 2pm & 6pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (90-mins no interval, 6pm — two hours & 45-mins incl. interval)Tickets $15 ($13 regional concession)Two concerts $27 ($23 regional concession)Three concerts $38 ($33 regional concession)Part of the VCE Season of Excellence 2016 presented by the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority

DAVID JONES

Drumscapes — David JonesAustralia’s very own celebrated drummer is back with his solo offering, Drumscapes. Using the drum kit, percussion and electronic wave drum, David Jones promises a mesmerising and animated journey through rhythms inspired by his everyday life. Drumscapes is a celebration of music in the natural environment — in the hum of machines that define his city life, and in the clink of a teaspoon stirring his morning coffee. From the sounds of a fluttering butterfly to a locomotive, David’s landscape of rhythms and effects will have you entranced one minute, then moving the next. David’s solo concerts are a sensory immersion.

INFORMATION

Thu 10 March 6pm & 8pmSalon (70-mins no interval)David Jones drum kit/percussionTickets $35 ($25 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & David Jones

Ben Winkelman TrioNew York-based award-winning jazz pianist and composer Ben Winkelman is touring Australia celebrating the release of his new trio album, The Knife. Joining him are long-term colleagues Sam Anning on bass (who recently relocated from New York to win the 2015 National Jazz Bass Award at Wangaratta) and Perth’s Ben Vanderwal on drums. Inspired by the highs and lows of getting acclimatized to life in New York, the 13 original compositions on The Knife explore some of Ben’s diverse musical interests in a jazz piano trio setting. These include Cuban, Brazilian and gospel music, odd meter claves and through-composed miniatures. Originally from Melbourne, Ben has been living in New York since 2010, where he is active on the jazz, Latin and gospel music scenes. He has previously released three critically acclaimed albums. Each received award nominations, with his second album winning the AIR Award for Best Independent Jazz Release.

INFORMATION

Friday 11 March 7pmSalon (One hour no interval)Ben Winkelman TrioTickets $30 ($25 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Melbourne Jazz Co-operative

BEN WINKELMAN


When Colombian harp virtuoso Edmar Castañeda plays, it’s hard to believe only one man and not a trio of harpists is performing. Castañeda’s technique is remarkable — comprising lead, rhythm and bass lines all at once and is equaled only by his soulful improvisations.

Born in the city of Bogotá, Colombia, Castañeda moved to the United States in 1994, taking the world by storm with the sheer force and virtuosic command of the harp, revolutionising the way audiences and critics view the instrument and its role in classical and contemporary music.

As an acclaimed instrumentalist, Castañeda has transformed the stages at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, the 10th Annual World Harp Congress and performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, John Scofield,

A love for passionate music brought the members of Alma Mater together. The ensemble reawakens voices of worlds gone by bringing to life the traditions of Portuguese fado and Brazilian modinha. The music is fiery, gripping, tense, yet surprisingly delicate. With its rare combination of instruments, diverse influences and musical cultures, the group creates a fresh yet faithful sound. Alma Mater takes you back in time, to a world where delicate beauty and unrefined passion walk hand-in-hand down the snaking corridors of an antique city.

Alma Mater’s debut album, Fado ao largo (meaning ‘fado from offshore’) launched in May 2015. Join them in 2016 for an evening of ‘sodade’ — songs of love and longing.

INFORMATION

Sat 12 March 5pm & 7pmSalon (One hour no interval)Alma MaterTickets $30 ($25 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Alma Mater

Hong-Anh is a Vietnamese singer, songwriter and editor. Joined by a band comprising well-known musicians and singers, Hong-Anh performs to thank readers for supporting his TiVi Tuan-san newspaper over the last 30 years. Songs originally written in English more than 30 years ago and translated into Vietnamese recently will be performed in Vietnamese and English by Vietnamese singers and the composer.

The theme of this concert is nostalgia, human plight and love songs of a former refugee on his journey to freedom through music. Hong-Anh has performed at the Adelaide Festival and in Melbourne on many occasions and in the last

Edmar Castañeda TrioA master of beautifully complex timing,

lush colors and dynamic spirit.

Sodade — Songs of Love & Longing

ALMA MATER

EDMAR CASTAÑEDA

Marcos Miller, John Patitucci and Chico O’Farrill ‘s Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band.

Edmar Castañeda’s virtuosic command of the harp has revolutionised the way audiences and critics view the instrument and for this special concert he will be accompanied by acclaimed jazz musicians Schlomi Cohen (soprano sax), Rodrigo Villalón (drums) and special guest Andrea Tierra (vocals).

INFORMATION

Fri 11 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)Edmar Castañeda Trio (Colombia/USA)With special guest Andrea Tierra vocalsA reserve $55B reserve $45Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia

two years has released four CDs. This event opens the door to cultural awareness and brings understanding between the Vietnamese and the wider community. The Master of Ceremonies will speak in English and Vietnamese.

INFORMATION

Sat 12 March 7pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Three hours incl. interval)FREE — tickets required at entry.Available from 15 January.Presented by TiVi Tuan-san NewspaperHONG-ANH NGUYEN

Hong-Anh Nguyen Live in Concert


Three-time Grammy Award-winner Diego El Cigala has captivated audiences around the world with his gravelly voice and passionate interpretation of Flamenco. He seamlessly melds the rhythms and melodies of his Spanish Gitano heritage with styles ranging from bolero to tango, and Afro-Caribbean jazz. Diego is joined by his band with Yelsey Heredia (double bass), Isidro Suarez (percussion), Jaimie Calabruch (piano) and Diego Moreno (Spanish guitar).

INFORMATION

Tue 15 March 8pmElisabeth Murdoch Hal (90-mins no interval)Diego El Cigala (Spain)Tickets $89 ($79 concession & $59 student)Presented by Duet Productions

LOCAL HEROES

Transitioning from a world of ‘bowed’ to ‘plucked’, Melbourne Guitar Quartet (MGQ) performs selections of self-penned arrangements of string quartet music by Haydn, Beethoven, Debussy and Ravel. Dedicating an entire program to exploring and transforming works from one quartet idiom to another, MGQ endeavours to celebrate these wonderful works through highlighting the rich and expansive timbral spectrum of the ‘guitar family’. The program will also premiere two new arrangements by MGQ, featuring selections from string quartets by Debussy and Ravel.

Salon Music

LOCAL HEROES 2016

INFORMATION

Tue 15 March 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)Selected arrangements of string quartets by Beethoven, Debussy, Haydn and Ravel.Melbourne Guitar QuartetTickets $39 ($29 concession)Three concert 2016 package $99 ($73 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Melbourne Guitar Quartet

DIEGO EL CIGALA

Letters from AbroadSongs of life, love, jealousies, loss & lament

The artists Anja & Zlatna present a program that bursts with the vitality and diversity of folk music from Europe and the Balkans. Songs wishing well for newly-weds share company with the complaints of exhausted mothers, whilst the exotic scales of Turkish classical music melt into the haunting ethereal world of Bulgarian lament. Punctuated with letters from one particular intrepid traveller, Letters from Abroad is your very own picture-perfect tour from Melbourne.

INFORMATION

Wed 16 March 2pm & 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)Anja & ZlatnaTickets $39 ($29 concession)Two concert 2016 package $66 ($49 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre and Anja & Zlatna

‘HE RADIATES A MAGNETIC MIX OF WINKING CHARM AND UNPREDICTABLE VITRIOL.’ THE NEW YORK TIMES

ANJA & ZLATNA

MELBOURNE GUITAR QUARTET

DIEGO EL CIGALA


A remarkable backstory in its own right, the Songhoy were one of the most prominent of Mali’s ethnic groups throughout history. Now somewhat marginalised, they continue to exist proudly on the outskirts of society, spreading the word of their heritage and beliefs. Flying the flag for such traditions is Songhoy Blues — a young quartet who met at university in Bamako and formed during the adversity of refugees amid growing unrest in Mali. Discovered while playing in a bar by French music manager Marc-Antoine Moreau, who was scouting on behalf of Africa Express,

‘THIS RESULTING DEBUT IS A MASTERPIECE OF DESERT BLUES, BLENDING AMERICAN GUITAR LICKS WITH MALIAN GROOVES.’ NME

Songhoy Blues

the band have since gone on to play at numerous festivals across the world, support Damon Albarn at the Royal Albert Hall, sign to Transgressive Records and record their debut album with the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Nick Zinner.

It takes something very special to form a story of such polarising highs and lows but this band is undoubtedly that – and a whole lot more. As they so eloquently put it themselves, ‘Songhoy Blues are a familiar proposition: four young men, guitar, drums, bass and vocals, driving rhythms, big hearts and a story to tell.’

INFORMATION

Wed 16 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours & 30-mins incl. interval)Songhoy Blues (Mali)A reserve $59B reserve $49Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre

SONGHOY BLUES

‘TALKING HEADS FUNKY… GROWLINGLY BLUESY… CONTEMPLATIVE AND HYPNOTIC… A TRIUMPH.’ THE GUARDIAN (UK)


SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Songs of Friends is a collection of Australian instrumental jazz compositions re-imagined with the addition of original lyrics by vocalist Josh Kyle. The program includes interpretations of songs written by Daniel Gassin, Sean Coffin, Sam Keevers and Kristin Berardi. These composers have all been influential on Kyle and this is his way of acknowledging that. Wanting to keep this project to duo format it was a dream realised for Kyle to work with Sam Keevers. An exceptional pianist, bandleader and soloist in his own right, Keevers also has the amazing ability to accompany singers in a beautifully creative and sympathetic way.

INFORMATION

Fri 18 March 7pmSalon (One hour no interval)Josh Kyle vocalsSam Keevers pianoTickets $30 ($25 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Josh Kyle

Songs of Friends

St Patrick’s Day with Ogham SoupOgham Soup (Owem) play traditional Celtic songs and dance music, including jigs and reels, with the modern rhythmic sound popular in Ireland. Band members Jason Day, Karen Kyriakou and Hughie Hanily share a strong love for Irish music. The band’s name comes from the ancient Celtic alphabet which, like runes, were carved into stone with a series of notches. These stones were called ogham stones and this translates literally as ‘alphabet’ stones. The word ‘ogham’ derives from the Celtic Deity ‘Oghma’, God of Literacy, creating language from tones and sounds. Ogham Soup’s instrumentation is diverse and the group uses different combinations of instruments and voice to create a constantly changing texture of the jigs, reels and songs. Expect the usual vocals, fiddle, guitar and tin-whistle, and be introduced to the bodhran (bow-ran) the mandolin and even an ‘ancient’ bronze age horn.

INFORMATION

Thu 17 March 2pm & 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)Ogham SoupTickets $39 ($29 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Ogham SoupSupported by The Robert Salzer Foundation

Ladysmith Black Mambazo‘LADYSMITH MAKES MUSIC SO BEGUILINGLY PENETRATING THAT YOU SEEM TO ABSORB IT WITH YOUR WHOLE BEING RATHER THAN JUST THE EARS.’ THE NEW YORK TIMES

A South African institution, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has warmed the hearts of audiences worldwide with their uplifting vocal harmonies, signature dance moves and charming on-stage banter. With a deep respect for both their cultural and personal history, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is ever-evolving with an eye toward their long musical legacy. Over the years, the original members have welcomed a younger generation in their mission, passing along the tradition of storytelling and spreading their message of peace, love, and harmony to millions of people. The newer members, in turn, have infused the group with their youthful energy and the promise of a bright future. Ladysmith Black Mambazo founder Joseph Shabalala looks to these young men to carry on his dream to ‘keep South Africa alive in people’s hearts’ for years to come.

It wasn’t until 1986 that Ladysmith Black Mambazo broke through to a mass audience, as part of Paul Simon’s era-defining Graceland project. Since then, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has become known as a global ambassador for post-apartheid South Africa, accompanying

the late South African president Nelson Mandela to Oslo, Norway for his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize. They have also been nominated for a stunning 13 Grammy Awards and won three, becoming a truly global phenomenon that has come to be synonymous with world music.

Their 2013 CD Live: Singing for Peace Around the World is a glorious compilation of some of their best-known songs and their latest album, Always With Us, is a tribute to Joseph’s late wife Nellie Shabalala. It features recordings Nellie made with her church choir, to which the group added their soaring voices.

INFORMATION

Thu 17 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)Ladysmith Black Mambazo (South Africa)A reserve $89 ($69 concession)B reserve $79 ($59 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre by arrangement with Arts Projects Australia & Adrian Bohm

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO

JOSH KYLE

OGHAM SOUP


‘A FORMIDABLE PERFORMER.’ THE GUARDIAN (UK)

Grammy Award-winning, prolific, and multi-skilled, Steve Earle knocked the world on its head in 1986 with the ground-breaking Guitar Town, which shot to No.1 on the country charts and immediately established the term ‘new country’. A protégé of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Earle is a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, Joan Baez and countless others. From biting hard rock to minimalist beauty to politically charged masterpieces, Earle’s catalogue bursts with 16 exciting, varied releases including Copperhead Road, Train a Comin’, Jerusalem, the Grammy Award-winning The Revolution Starts Now,

Washington Square Serenade and Townes. His latest 2015 release, Terraplane, his first ever Blues album, peaked at No.1 on the Billboard Blues Chart and outsold every release since Copperhead Road. He’s notched nine Top 40 singles, including the Top 10 country standard/pub-rock anthem ‘Copperhead Road’, 10 Top 10 albums and has three platinum-selling albums. If his musical poetry isn’t enough, he is also a fearless political activist, an acclaimed playwright and actor, and now novelist, having released

‘I’ll Never Get out of Here Alive’ in 2011.Steve Earle and his formidable band The Dukes are renowned for their rocking live show and are set to pack a punch yet again, returning to Australia due to high audience

demand. The seasoned, multi-instrumentalist offers musical prowess and provocative food-for-thought delivered with imaginative poetry and a glistening plethora of genres that sweep through a remarkable 30+ year career. Don’t miss Steve Earle & The Dukes on their visit to Australia.

INFORMATION

Fri 18 & Sat 19 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours & 30-mins incl. interval)Steve Earle & The Dukes (USA)The Mastersons (USA)A reserve $89B reserve $79Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre

Steve Earle & The Dukes

with special guests The Mastersons


‘AIMARD’S VINGT REGARDS ARE A MAGNIFICENT ACHIEVEMENT.’

GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE

Ecstatic, voluptuous and violent, Olivier Messiaen’s Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus, is both a spectacular piece of music, a formidable virtuoso vehicle and one of the great works of religious art of the 20th century. A highly personal expression of Messiaen’s deep Catholic faith in his otherworldly blend of mysticism, bird-song, Hindu music and his gift of synaesthesia (hearing colours), these Twenty Contemplations are visionary in every sense of the word. It is an immense love song addressed to the divine, but — as is often the case with Messiaen — it also encompasses human love with a melting sensuality. As Messiaen said, ‘Here is the triumph of love and tears of joy — all the passion of our arms around the Invisible!’

GREAT PERFORMERS 2016

Pierre-Laurent Aimard Messiaen

The two-hour-long suite is emotionally and physically taxing for any pianist, and there are only a handful of artists who have its measure; Pierre-Laurent Aimard is the work’s greatest living exponent. Aimard’s profound rapport with Messiaen’s music is the result of a long engagement with the composer and his wife, pianist Yvonne Loriod, the dedicatee of the piece. Aimard learned the work as a pupil of Madame Loriod, so this interpretation marries authenticity with the performer’s own fiery intelligence and incredible skill. In Aimard’s hands, Messiaen’s music describes the indescribable, and invites us to briefly apprehend something beyond our understanding. It is a transformative concert experience.

INFORMATION

Sun 20 March 5pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours incl. interval)MESSIAEN Vingt regards sur l’enfant-Jésus (Twenty Contemplations on the Infant Jesus)Pierre-Laurent Aimard piano (France)Premium $115A reserve $100 ($50 concession)B reserve $85 ($50 concession)C reserve $60 ($50 concession)Four concert Great Performers series package from $204Presented by Melbourne Recital CentreSeries partner: Legal Friends of Melbourne Recital CentreProgram partners: The Langham Melbourne, ABC Classic FM, Henkell Brothers & Great Performers Leadership Circle

PIERRE-LAURENT AIMARD


Tweedy is a collaboration between Wilco’s incomparable front-man, Jeff Tweedy and his 18-year-old son, drummer Spencer Tweedy. The father/son duo’s 2014 debut album Sukierae features 20 songs written by Jeff Tweedy, with Spencer on drums, and Jeff on guitars, vocals, bass and keyboards. Jeff Tweedy is one of America’s most accomplished songwriters, musicians and performers. He’s the founding member and leader of alternative country-rock band Wilco and co-founder of alt-country band Uncle Tupelo (his previous band). And his list of achievements is seemingly endless: writing original songs for nine Wilco albums (and winning two Grammy Awards), playing more than 1500 concerts world-wide and transforming into a highly sought-after producer, collaborating with legends including Mavis Staples and Billy Bragg. The Tweedy-produced Mavis Staples album You Are Not Alone won Best Americana Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. Wilco and Tweedy’s influence reaches far beyond Americana country to artists like The National, Grace Potter, Norah Jones and Counting Crows.

Considering life’s big questions in his song-writing, Tweedy’s genius lies in delivering in a determinedly upbeat spirit. This exclusive Melbourne concert covers a catalogue of over 20 years of stand-out material as well as brand new material from the Tweedy project.

INFORMATION

Mon 21 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Two hours & 30-mins incl. interval)Jeff Tweedy vocals/guitar (USA)Spencer Tweedy drums (USA)A reserve $85B reserve $75Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre in association with Love Police Touring

In a program crafted by leading saxophonist Christina Leonard, musicians of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) investigate works by Australian composer Mary Finsterer and her influences Louis Andriessen (with whom she studied) and Brenton Broadstock (with whom she completed her Masters in 1995). From the time Mary began her career as a composer in the mid-1980s, her work was distinct from other Australian female composers; her music was unabashedly full-on and hyperactive. A touching conclusion to the program is the premiere of a short piece that Mary wrote for Christina, Prelude to the Concerto.

AUSTRALIAN VOICES

The Music of Mary Finsterer

‘JEFF IS A SONGWRITER NOT SHY ABOUT TACKLING THE BIG SONGS OR THE BIG IDEAS, AND RIGHTFULLY TAKING HIS PLACE AMONG THE VERY BEST OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HISTORY.’ CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND

MARY FINSTERER

TWEEDY

INFORMATION

Mon 21 March 6pmSalon (70-mins no interval)Music by Finsterer, Broadstock and Andriessen.Christina Leonard curatorANAM MusiciansTickets $25 ($15 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM)

TWEEDY


LOCAL HEROES 2015

HAMER QUARTET

Mozart’s body of work is as varied as it is extensive ranging from the well-known orchestral symphonies and dazzling concertos to a collection of exquisite divertimenti and serenades. The serenades of Mozart are the most famous of the form with many written for special occasions and played by a wind ensemble performing outdoors. Serenade No.11 is Mozart’s earliest masterpiece for wind ensemble. With its rich expressive woodwind writing, highly chromatic passages and hearty folk-song melodies, the work has become a sure-fire crowd pleaser. In contrast Brahms only wrote two serenades. Serenade No.2 written by a young Brahms, is both gracious and relaxed with its own bold touches. The intimate and poetic slow movement, literally at the heart of the piece, is one of Brahms’s finest creations, a set of variations over

Love LettersThe subject (and subjects) of unrequited love have inspired composers through the ages, from the lusty proclamations of passion in the madrigals of Monteverdi, to the ‘free but happy’ motto of Brahms (a man both haunted and inspired his entire career by an impossible love) that is heard in his second string quartet. Leoš Janáček’s obsessive and unrequited love for Kamila Stosslova that inspired his final decade of compositional output had its triumphant apotheosis in his second string quartet, ‘Intimate Letters’, originally called ‘Love Letters’, drawing its name from the 700 or so letters that he wrote to her in the 10-years before his death.

Formed in 2006, the Hamer Quartet have performed extensively around Australia and toured the U.K. and Europe. Founding members Michael Dahlenburg (cello), Stefanie Farrands (viola) and Rebecca Chan (violin) reunite in 2016 to present a series of quartet concerts, joined by some exciting guest violinists.

INFORMATION

Tue 22 March 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)MONTEVERDI selection of madrigalsJANÁČEK String Quartet No.2, Intimate LettersBRAHMS String Quartet Op.51, No.2 in A minorHamer QuartetZoë Black violinTickets $39 ($29 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre and Hamer Quartet & Friends

KRISTIAN CHONG

The great Schubert B-flat Sonata defies explanation and, in the words of pianist Stephen Hough, ‘is one of those occasions when the pen has to be set down on the desk, the body rested against the back of a chair, and a listener’s whole being surrendered to another sphere. Here there is neither the superficial gloss of refinement nor the mawkish self-consciousness of profundity; rather Schubert’s miraculous ability to bare his soul without a trace of narcissism — a combined result of his humility, universality, and an exquisite unawareness of either’.

Paired with the delightful Four Impromptus D935, this promises to be an astonishing

SALON SOLO

Timeless Inevitabilityinsight in Schubert’s late piano works by one of Australia’s most insightful and leading pianists, Kristian Chong.

INFORMATION

Wed 23 March 2pm & 6pmSalon (75-mins incl. interval)SCHUBERTFour Impromptus D935Sonata for Piano No.21 in B-flatKristian Chong pianoTickets $39 ($29 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre

a repeated bass. New artistic director of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) Nick Deutsch directs musicians of the Academy in a morning concert of two sublime serenades — complete with morning tea.

INFORMATION

Tue 22 March 11amElisabeth Murdoch Hall (70-mins no interval)MOZART Serenade No.11 for wind instruments in E-flat, K.375BRAHMS Serenade No.2 in A, Op.16Nick Deutsch oboe/directorANAM MusiciansTickets $47 ($40 concession/senior) — includes morning teaFour concert season ticket $141 ($120 concession/senior)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM)

Spend an hour with good company, great music & light refreshments

MOSTLY MOZART: SERENADES


The Melbourne Bach Choirs (MBC) and Orchestras conducted by Rick Prakhoff presents this unique performance of St Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach, sung in German. Two adult choirs, one children’s choir, two orchestras and 10 outstanding Australian soloists fill Elisabeth Murdoch Hall with an extraordinary, dramatic telling of the Passion story, written to be performed on Good Friday. Andrew Goodwin brings his beautiful high tenor to the role of the Evangelist. Warwick Fyfe returns to sing Christus 10 years after he performed this role for MBC’s first St Matthew Passion. This is a rare performance using two separate quartets of stunning aria soloists to punctuate the Evangelist’s depiction of Christ’s journey to the Cross.

Featuring two quartets of aria soloists is unusual today, but was clearly indicated by Bach. It makes a fitting celebration of the Melbourne Bach Choir’s 10th anniversary.

INFORMATION

Fri 25 March 2.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Three hours incl. interval)J.S. BACH St Matthew Passion BWV244Andrew Goodwin tenor (Evangelist)Warwick Fyfe baritone (Christus)Lorina Gore & Jacqueline Porter sopranoSally-Anne Russell & Belinda Paterson mezzo-sopranoHenry Choo & Michael Petrucelli tenorAndrew Collis & Jeremy Kleeman bass baritone

Every once in a while, and not that often, a popular musician comes along whose work is both profoundly personal and evocative of the larger moment, merging the specifics of lived experience in a particular time and place to the realities of our shared journey as a community. The work of such artists as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Kurt Cobain and now Jason Isbell, we could argue, with his new album Something More Than Free spreads irresistibly outward from the soul, that private well of vision and emotion, into the broader realm of cultural history, sharpening our ability to see, expanding our ability to feel, and restoring our sense that we belong not only to ourselves but to an extended spiritual family. To fans and the music press, the personal story surrounding Isbell’s last breakthrough album, Southeastern, is widely known and easily reprised: a troubled young troubadour, newly married, Isbell stepped away from the darkness of addiction into a new, uncertain life of clarity and commitment. It’s an album of aching elegance, marked by the sort of lyrical precision that brought to mind certain literary masters of the melancholy American scene, from Flannery O’Connor to Raymond Carver. Isbell avoided the hairy-chested bombast of arena country music while crafting music with solid melodic contours, and the resultant album is a sound of memorably infectious empathy.

INFORMATION

Tue 29 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (Three hours incl. interval)Jason Isbell guitar/vocals (USA)A reserve $69B reserve $59Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre

‘WITH HIS HONEYSUCKLE DRAWL AND UNRIVALLED KNACK FOR LYRICAL DETAIL, JASON ISBELL IS ARGUABLY THE

MOST REVERED ROOTS-ROCK SINGER-SONGWRITER OF HIS GENERATION... IT ’S A MASTER CLASS IN SONG WRITING.’

ROLLING STONE

JASON ISBELL

JASON ISBELL

Bach’s St Matthew PassionChoir of St Michael’s Grammar SchoolMelbourne Bach Choirs & OrchestrasRick Prakhoff conductorA reserve $110 ($83 concession)B reserve $85 ($64 concession)C reserve $60 ($45 concession)Student $30Presented by Melbourne Bach Choir

MELBOURNE BACH CHOIRS & ORCHESTRAS


TAJ MAHAL

Baroque trio Latitude 37 presents a sumptuous celebration of music from 17th-century Germany, including the stunning Lament by Johann Christoph Bach. Comprising music of great beauty and piety, this concert concludes with Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous cantata ‘Ich Habe Genug’.

INFORMATION

Wed 30 March 6pmSalon (One hour no interval)

J.C. BACH Lamento ‘Wie Bist Du Denn O Gott’DIECTRICH Suite a 5TUNDER Jesu DolcissimeJ.S. BACH Cantata BWV 85: ‘Ich Habe Genug’Latitude 37Nicholas Dinopoulos bass baritoneKirsten Barry Baroque oboeTickets $39 ($29 concession)Three concert 2016 package $99 ($73 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre & Latitude 37

LOCAL HEROES 2016

Bach & his Ancestors

LATITUDE 37

Taj MahalComposer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, two-time Grammy Award-winner, world-class musical collaborator, musicians’ advocate, world traveller, fisherman and cigar aficionado... Taj Mahal is one of the most prominent and influential figures in late 20th-century blues and roots music. These titles are all accurate, yet none convey the warmth, humour, and soulfulness of Taj and his music. He has been playing his own distinctive brand of music variously described as Afro-Caribbean blues, folk-world-blues, hula blues, folk-funk and a host of other hyphenations for more than 40 years. A 2009 inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame, Taj Mahal has received a huge nine Grammy Award nominations over his career, and has won two — the first in 1997 with Best Contemporary Blues Album for Señor Blues, and again in 2000 with Best Contemporary Blues Album for Shoutin’ in Key. Cue the music and let the good times roll.

‘No matter what went down, music was always going to be a part of my life,’ says the guitarist and singer. ‘What ultimately happened is that, over a period of time, I just kind of looked around and then like, Wow! I’m actually making a living doing this.’ Taj Mahal

INFORMATION

Wed 30 March 7.30pmElisabeth Murdoch Hall (90-mins incl. interval)Taj Mahal multi-instrumentalist/vocalist (USA)A reserve $89 ($79 concession)B reserve $79 ($69 concession)Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre


Keep Me Informed

Please keep me informed and post new program guides and updates to my address below

Please keep me informed by sending your fortnightly What’s On Guide email and program updates to my email account below

Please provide the following details Please print clearly (fields marked with an asterisk * are optional)

Title First name Last name

Position (if applicable)

Organisation (if applicable)

Address

Suburb

State Postcode Country

Date of Birth* / / Male* Female*

Phone (Home)* Phone (Work)*

Mobile*

Email*

What kind of performances are you interested in? (Please tick as many as applicable)

Pop & more: The world’s best artists in pop, rock, country, folk, world and alternative.

Classical: From early music to contemporary classical performed by internationally and locally acclaimed soloists and ensembles.

Jazz: Everything swinging including jazz, soul, funk, R&B, Latin, musical theatre and cabaret.

Children & Families: Musical performances and activities for the entire family.

Please return this entire sheet to us

In Person: Hand to our Box Office staff Fax: 03 9207 2662

Mail (No Stamp Required): Marketing Melbourne Recital Centre Reply Paid 85302 SOUTHBANK VIC 3006

Our Privacy Commitment To You Preserving your privacy is important to us. Information concerning the way Melbourne Recital Centre handles personal information can be viewed at our web site at melbournerecital.com.au

Immerse yourself in our great program of music and events. To keep informed through our program brochures or to receive updates online select the options below that best suit your needs.

Online melbournerecital.com.au

By Phone +61 3 9699 3333 (Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm)

In Person Melbourne Recital Centre Box Office (Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm and two hours prior to all performances). The Box Office is located on the ground floor.

Mail Box Office – Mail Bookings 31 Sturt Street, SOUTHBANK VIC 3006

Concessions Eligible concessions vary according to performances. Please contact the Box Office for details. Proof of concession is required upon ticket collection.

Transaction Fees A transaction fee of between $5.50 and $8 applies to all bookings except for subscriptions and those made in person.

For information on access services please contact 03 9699 3333 or visit the website.

All details correct at time of publication but are subject to change where necessary and without notice. Check the website for updates.

How to Book

Performances with this symbol have a Babes in Arms policy. Babies under the age of two may attend free of charge and be admitted without a ticket, on the condition that they do not occupy a seat and sit on the lap of a parent or guardian. Everyone else attending these performances must hold a valid ticket.

Babes in Arms

@MelbRecital


Thank You

Founding BenefactorsThe Kantor Family Helen Macpherson Smith Trust The Calvert-Jones Family Robert Salzer Foundation Lyn Williams am The Hugh Williamson Foundation

International Airline Partner

Founding PatronThe Late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch ac dbe

ENCORE BEQUEST PROGRAMProviding sustained support for all aspects of the Centre’s artistic program through its Public Fund. Anonymous (2)Betty Amsden aoJenny Anderson

Barbara BlackmanJim Cousins ao & Libby CousinsDr Garry Joslin

Ken Bullen The Estate of Beverley Shelton & Martin SchönthalMary Vallentine ao

Melbourne Recital Centre acknowledges the generous support of its business, philanthropic partners and patrons

Principal Government Partner

Supporting Partners

Program Partners

Foundations

Business Partners

Board MembersKathryn Fagg, Chair Peter Bartlett Stephen Carpenter

Joseph Corponi Paul Donnelly Margaret Farren-Price

Julie Kantor Eda Ritchie am

THE HUGH WILLIAMSON FOUNDATION

THE MARIAN & E.H. FLACK TRUST

THE SENTINEL FOUNDATION

THE VIZARD FOUNDATION

THE MERLYN MYER FUND


LEADERSHIP CIRCLESThe Leadership Circles comprise individual donors whose lead gifts support the Centre’s core concert program and its mission to be a singular place of inspiration, creativity, self-expression, learning and enrichment through music.

Artist DevelopmentInaugural Artist Development & Music Education Benefactor Betty Amsden ao

Children’s & FamilyBetty Amsden aoMrs Margaret S Ross am & Dr Ian C Ross

Life-long LearningKathryn Fagg*

Master ClassPrice/Lowy Family in memory of John Price George & Laila EmbeltonEnsemble Giovane*

Great PerformersThe John & Jennifer Brukner FoundationAnonymous (2)Brian & Esther BenjaminPaulette & Warwick BisleyGeoff & Jan PhillipsMaria SolaSkipp Williamson & Carol Haynes

Signature EventsInaugural Signature Events BenefactorsYvonne von Hartel am & Robert Peck amHans & Petra HenkellLady Primrose Potter ac

Local HeroesLady Marigold Southey acThe Klein Family FoundationAndrew & Theresa DyerJean HadgesDr Garry Joslin & Prof Dimity Reed amCraig ReevesMajlis Pty Ltd

New Music Peter Jopling am qcNaomi Milgrom ao

MUSIC CIRCLE PATRONS PROGRAM Providing support essential to the breadth, diversity and quality of the Centre’s artistic program.

Magnum Opus Circle ($20,000+)Yvonne von Hartel am & Robert Peck amMelbourne Recital Centre Board of Directors Kathryn Fagg Peter & Cally Bartlett Stephen Carpenter & Leigh Ellwood Joseph Corponi Paul Donnelly & Brigette Treutenaere Margaret Farren-Price & Prof Ronald Farren-Price am Julie Kantor Eda Ritchie am

Virtuoso Circle ($10,000+)J.A Westacott & T.M Shannon

Composers Circle ($4000+)Anonymous (2)Andrea GoldsmithJenny & Peter HordernAlison & David LansleyDrs Victor & Karen WayneLyn Williams am

Melbourne Recital Centre Senior ManagementMessage Consultants Australia Pty Ltd

Musicians Circle ($2500+)Eva Besen ao & Marc Besen acRobert & Jan GreenDiana LempriereJames OstroburskiRobert & Jenni StentSusan Thacore

Prelude Circle ($1000+)Anonymous (7)Adrienne BasserHelen BrackBill & Sandra BurdettJohn & Thelma CastlesThe Hon Alex Chernov ac qc & Mrs Elizabeth ChernovMaxine Cooper & Michael WrightKathy & George DeutschMary DraperLord Francis Ebury & Lady Suzanne EburySusan FallawThe Leo & Mina Fink FundWilliam J Forrest amMartin Ginnane & Ronnie BindingAngela GloverJan GrantNance Grant am mbe & Ian HarrisSue Hamilton & Stuart Hamilton aoPenelope HughesProf Andrea Hull aoDarvell M Hutchinson amStuart JenningsAnn LahoreMaria MercurioStephen Newton aoElizabeth O’KeeffeHelen L PerlenDr Robert PiaggioPeter Rose & Christopher MenzRae RothfieldSamara, Countess of BeekmanBarbara & Duncan SutherlandPamela SwanssonElisabeth & Peter TurnerSally WebsterPeter Weiss ao

Supporters ($500+)Peter J ArmstrongDavid BardasJudith HoyGerry & Susan Moriarty

ELISABETH MURDOCH CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT FUNDNamed after the Centre’s Founding Patron, this Fund supports projects that make a difference to young artists and accessibility to music.

($20,000+)Annamila Pty Ltd

($10,000+)Betty Amsden aoNaomi Milgrom ao

($4000+)Anonymous (1)Jennifer BruknerJulian Burnside ao qc & Kate DurhamDr Alastair JacksonSally MacIndoeLouise & Martyn Myer FoundationAllan Myers ao qc & Maria Myers aoDr Cherilyn Tillman & Tam Vu Andrew & Jan Wheeler

Janet Whiting am & Phil LukiesYouth Music Australia

($2500+)Dr Garry Joslin & Prof Dimity Reed amJames OstroburskiChristine Sather*Yvonne von Hartel am & Robert Peck amLyn Williams am

($1000+)Anonymous (3)Ashton Raggatt McDougall ArchitectsBailey-Lord Family*John & Mary BarlowAdrienne BasserMary Beth Bauer*Jane BloomfieldBarbara BurgeJames Calvert-JonesSir Roderick Carnegie acDes & Irene ClarkJim Cousins ao & Libby CousinsGeorge & Laila EmbeltonPenny & Grant FowlerDr Jane Gilmour oamBarbara Heilemann*John Howie am & Linsey HowiePenelope HughesPenny HutchinsonLiane Kemp*John Landy ac mbe & Lynne LandyProf John Langford am & The Late Christina McCallumNorene Leslie McCormac*Dr Richard Mills amRosemary O’Connor*Rowly & Judy PatersonProf David Penington ac & Dr Sonay PeningtonGeoff & Jan PhillipsRob & Philippa SpringallRobert & Jenni StentLaura Thomas*Sally WebsterGang Yun*

($500+)Anonymous (2)Peter & Cally BartlettHelen Brack Brian & Esther BenjaminThe Hon Mary DelahuntyKathryn FaggMargaret Farren-Price & Prof Ronald Farren-Price amColin Golvan qc & Dr Deborah GolvanRobert & Jan GreenPeter & Barbara KollinerPeter & Susan MahlerEda Ritchie am Christine Rodan & Erskine Rodan oamDr Peter Rogers & Cathy RogersChristine SatherDrs Victor & Karen WayneSkipp Williamson & Carol HaynesMessage Consultants Australia

LEGAL FRIENDS OF MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTREEach year the group brings together music lovers from the legal profession to help fund one or more concerts by an artist appearing as part of the Centre’s Great Performers Series.

Legal Friends Inaugural PatronsThe Hon Justice Michelle Gordon and The Hon Kenneth M Hayne ac qc

($4000+)Anonymous (1)Rachel & Hon Alan Goldberg ao qcNaomi Golvan & George Golvan qcThe Hon Justice Michelle Gordon & The Hon Kenneth M Hayne ac qcPeter B Murdoch qc & Helen Murdoch

($2500+)Elizabeth O’KeeffeRalph & Ruth Renard

($1000+)Anonymous (3)Marcia & John K ArthurPeter Bartlett Ingrid BraunJustice David Byrne qcChristine CloughBruce CurlColin Golvan qc & Dr Deborah GolvanDr Gavan Griffith qc aoRobert Heathcote & Meredith KingJudge Sara Hinchey & Tom PikusaMaryanne B Loughnan qcPeter & Avril McGrathPeter & Ruth McMullinDavid O’CallaghanMeredith SchillingMichael Shand qc

($500+)The Hon Chris Maxwell ac

SHARE THE MUSIC PROGRAM This program enables disadvantaged children and adults to attend concerts by providing tickets and transport free of charge. Over 500 of these visits take place each year through the generosity of our donors.

($10,000+)Krystyna Campbell-Pretty

($4000+)Anne Burgi & Kerin CarrWendy & David O‘Callaghan & Alan Kozica

($1000+)Anonymous (1)Caroline & Robert ClementeHelen ImberProf John Langford am & The Late Christina McCallum Dennis & Fairlie NassauKerryn PratchettGreg Shalit & Miriam FaineSirius Foundation

($500+)Vivien & Jacob FajgenbaumDr Robert HetzelGeorge & Grace KassMaria MercurioProf Richard Smallwood & Carol SmallwoodVivien Wertkin

Inspired Giving

*Ensemble Giovane: A created ensemble in support of MasterclassesList of patrons at 6 November 2015


T H E A C C L A I M E D I T A L I A N O R C H E S T R A A N D C H O I R

P E R F O R M S A G L O R I O U S B A R O Q U E T R E A S U R E

TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FROM $89 BOOK: MELBOURNERECITAL.COM.AU | 03 9699 3333

M E L B O U R N E R E C I T A L C E N T R E P R E S E N T S

ELISABETH MURDOCH HALL, MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE

Documents

What's On : January, February, March 2016