Australian Debussy Trio

ii

Monday 27 March 2023

7:30pm

Hobart Town Hall

Please note this concert will now be held on Monday 27th March due to unforeseen circumstances. All original tickets are still valid.

The sumptuous combination of flute, viola and harp unites three soloists as they deliver a thoughtfully curated program. The newly established Australian Debussy Trio has crafted an illuminating blend of tranquil dreams, pastoral scenes and deep, introspective music for this unique instrumental combination. Imbued with flickers of light, Debussy’s second sonata is told in a fragrant language of ambiguity and fleeting suggestion. In a masterful display of timbral manipulation, Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu pays homage to Debussy with his own trio “And then I knew ’twas Wind” – a musical depiction of the human subconscious played out across interconnected musical episodes. Amongst the intriguing lineup of works, the programme features two Australian works, by Ross Edwards and Anne Boyd, written especially for the trio. This thoughtful programme will engross audiences from start to finish.

Arnold Bax
Elegiac Trio
Toru Takemitsu
And then I knew ’twas Wind
Ross Edwards
Three Mystic Dances
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Pieces de clavecin en concerts No. 5
Anne Boyd
Into the Living Light
Claude Debussy
Sonata for flute, viola and harp, L.137

Granger, Wannan and Henderson impressed with some spectacular playing, both skilled technically and emotionally poignant.

Limelight Magazine

Emily Granger

Harp

American-born, Australian-based Emily Granger effortlessly straddles the worlds of classical, popular, and art music – including glittering appearances with Yo-Yo Ma, Sarah Blasko, and Renée Fleming. Emily’s considerable talent finds her equally at home in intimate chamber recitals and thrilling performances of daring new works. Emily has performed recitals from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center and has appeared with the Chicago, Sydney, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. Her debut solo album, In Transit (AVIE Records), was Featured Album on ABC Classic and praised by BBC Music Magazine as "beautiful" and Limelight Magazine as "an impressive debut".

James Wannan

Viola

Violist James Wannan is a founder of the Australia Piano Quartet (APQ), Co-Artistic Director of the Ensemble in Residence at the University of Technology Sydney, a member of Southern Cross Soloists and an Artistic Associate of Sydney Chamber Opera. He teaches chamber music and viola at the Sydney Conservatorium’s Rising Star program and has been a guest teacher at the Australian National Academy of Music. He explores his passion for music from ancient to contemporary on a number of instruments. James enjoys exploring the possibilities of other instruments including violin, oud and viola d’amore. He has commissioned many new works, including a concerto by Jack Symonds that was premiered at the Bendigo Festival of Experimental Music.

Jonathan Henderson

Flute

Flutist Jonathan Henderson trained with Europe’s leading flute professors and has carved out a multifaceted performance career spanning from Australia to the Nordic countries. Jonathan was appointed Principal Flute of the Estonian National Opera Orchestra at age twenty-four, whilst still a student at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. He has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Nordic Symphony Orchestra and MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Richard Tognetti, Klaus Mäkelä and Leif Segerstam.

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