Concert Series
Welcome to Generations, our 2024 Concert Series celebrating an extraordinary tradition of music at the University of Adelaide.
All pedagogical traditions are about generational transfer, but in music this takes a very personal form, as knowledge is passed literally from one hand to another, from teacher to student, in a constant process of renewal. Generations embodies this process, as we present a star line-up of celebrated staff, students, and alumni.
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2024 program
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Lunchtime Concerts, Season One
- All Concerts in Elder Hall at 1:10pm. Doors open 12:30pm.
- $20 general admission, or purchase a Gold Pass subscription for more than 33% savings.
Friday 5 April
Grand Duo
Anna Goldsworthy &
Konstantin Shamray pianoSchubert Sonata in C major for piano four-hands, D 812
Our 2024 concert series commences with the sublime pairing of Anna Goldsworthy, Director of the Elder Conservatorium of Music, and Konstantin Shamray, much-loved alumnus and adjunct senior lecturer. In 1824 twenty-seven-year-old Schubert was present at the awe-inspiring premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth symphony in Vienna before returning to Zseliz that summer to work again for the Esterházy family as their music teacher. Whilst there he wrote this extended four movement work, his largest in the genre, in which Robert Schumann immediately sensed the powerful influence of Beethoven, labelling it a “piano version” of a symphony.
Friday 12 April
Images
Michael Ierace piano
Respighi Valse Caressante and Notturno from 6 Pieces for Piano
Grieg Ballade Op. 24
Debussy Images, Book 1Neoclassical Respighi drew inspiration from Chopin for his salon-esque waltz (originally for violin and piano) and his most famous piano work, Notturno, has been described as having a “Rachmaninovian” feel. Grieg’s nine variations on a Norwegian folk theme (plus a coda) embrace a gamut of emotions, whilst Debussy, steeped in impressionism and symbolism and “almost as fond of pictures as of music”, produced dramatic contrasting works with evocative titles in his 1905 Images Book 1. Featuring alumnus and staff pianist Michael Ierace.
Friday 19 April
Sliding Around
Jasmine Hall trombone
Ruby Mensforth trombone
Alex Taylor tromboneThomas Voss trombone
Mark Ferguson piano
Lyndon Gray bassElder Conservatorium staff and alumni come together for a program celebrating all things jazz trombone!
Friday 26 April
Rhythm Song
Emma Horwood pedal/Celtic harps & voice
Steven Peterka percussionHildegard of Bingen O Viridissima Virga
Anon. Yo me soy la morenica
Juan García de Zéspedes Convidando está la noche
Alan Stivell Ys
Joy Ju Hoffman Autumn (for double harp)
Lori Pappajohn Girl in the Red Skirt
Carlos Salzedo Song in the NightJoin acclaimed alumna, harpist and soprano Emma Horwood and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra principal percussionist Steve Peterka as they create a unique soundscape with pedal and Celtic harps, voice and percussion (including bells, chimes, cymbals, crotales, castanets, ocean drum, rain stick and cajón). From medieval chant to Spanish Renaissance villancicos, traditional Scottish port à beul, and contemporary works by Carl Crossin, Melisande Wright and Emma Horwood.
Friday 3 May
A Majestic Affair
Michael Ierace piano
Kate Suthers violin
Stephen King viola
Thomas Marlin celloBrahms Piano Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 26
Brahms drew clear inspiration from Schubert in this four-movement work which is particularly famous for being one of the longest piano quartets ever written. Rather more poised and lyrical than the more commonly played first quartet, it is laid out on a grand symphonic scale with seemingly effortless lyricism. The passionate and yearning slow movement, written when the composer was only twenty eight, anticipated his sweeping second piano concerto by some twenty years. Featuring staff members Michael Ierace, Stephen King and Thomas Marlin, with ASO concertmaster Kate Suthers.
Friday 10 May
Mentorship Series
Helen Ayres violin
Stephen King violawith Elder Conservatorium students
Dynamic staff members Helen Ayres and Stephen King mentor a select group of classical performance students through a series of tutorials and rehearsals, culminating in today’s much-anticipated lunchtime concert. The opportunity to perform side-by-side with professional musicians launches these stars-in-the-making to new heights.
Friday 17 May
Centennials
Elder Conservatorium Wind Orchestra
Lloyd Van’t Hoff conductorKarel Husa Smetana Fanfare
Holst First Suite in E-flat, Op. 28 No. 1
Natalie Williams Pendulum
Alexander Arutiunian Trumpet ConcertoHusa quoted Smetana’s little known symphonic poem, Wallenstein’s Camp, in a fanfare commissioned to celebrate the centennial of the important Bohemian nationalist composer’s death, whilst Holst’s cornerstone of band literature passed its own centennial in 2009. Alumna Natalie Williams depicts the arc of a pendulum and the passing of time in her celebration of the Sydney Conservatorium’s 100th birthday, and this concert concludes with Arutiunian’s single-movement virtuosic Armenian-inspired concerto.
Friday 24 May
Journeys and Stories 1
Elder Conservatorium Chorale
Carl Crossin OAM conductor
Karl Geiger pianoEvery piece of music is a journey – every song is a story. With music from Ireland, France, Scandinavia, Australia and Central America (to name just a few), Chorale will be your guide as we traverse the physical, cultural and emotional landscapes of our world.
To illustrate just how far you will travel in 50 minutes, the program includes:
Arvo Pärt (Estonia) The Deer’s Cry
Ben van Tienen (Australia) White Nights
Sean Dohety (Ireland) Snow-Dance for the Dead
Traditional (Mexico) El Cascabel
…and more!Friday 31 May
She Speaks
Australian String Quartet
with Noriko Tadano shamisenNoriko Tadano Ancient Love Letter
Noriko Tadano Tsugaru Jonkara Bushi
Caroline Shaw Nimrod from Three Essays
Fanny Mendelssohn Romance from String Quartet in E flat major
Noriko Tadano, arr. Emily Tulloch Staircase to the Moon
Alice Chance Nose Scrunch Reel
Noriko Tadano, arr. Emily Tulloch VertigoThe beloved Australian String Quartet join Noriko Tadano, a master of the shamisen; a three-stringed long-necked Japanese instrument derived from the Chinese sanxian, played with a plectrum called a bachi and a traditional instrument of the geisha. Chance described her Celtic inspired quartet written for the ASQ as “slightly psychedelic”. Shaw’s biblically inspired work addresses the power of language (whose loss led to the fall of the tower of Babel), whilst Mendelssohn here constructed a highly original harmonic world of German Romanticism.
This concert is a continuation of the Australian String Quartet’s on-going collaboration with Nexus Arts
Friday 7 June
Australian Jazz
Honours Ensemble
Lyndon Gray directorThe Honours ensemble play from the Australian Jazz Real Book, with works by noted Australian jazz writers including alumni Jo Lawry, Michelle Nicole, Matthew Sheens and Lauren Henderson, alongside songs by Vince Jones and other Australian jazz greats.
Friday 14 June
Elder Conservatorium Woodwinds
Lloyd Van’t Hoff clarinet
Emma Gregan horn
Joshua Oates oboe
Jack Schiller bassoonwith Elder Conservatorium students
Françaix Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano
Cawrse Lullabies and Crooked Dances
Mozart Serenade in C minor, K.388Jean Françaix's Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano is a lively and engaging chamber music piece that showcases the composer's characteristic wit and playful style. Alumna and lecturer Cawrse here offers a study combining elements of both dance and lullabies, whilst Mozart’s unrelentingly serious work (until the C major finale), not often performed, is far from the typical background “serenading” music. Featuring staff members Lloyd Van’t Hoff and Emma Gregan, and alumni Joshua Oates and Jack Schiller, alongside students from the Elder Conservatorium of Music.
Friday 21 June
Elegance to Ecstasy
Sophie Rowell violin
Kristian Chong pianoSchubert Sonatina for Violin and Piano in G minor, D384
Paul Stanhope Agnus Dei (After the Fire)
Ravel Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 2In this charming sonata (now usually called a Sonatina) the nineteen-year-old Schubert appears to have been channelling the style of Mozart rather than that of his contemporary hero, Beethoven. The silent desolate landscape of Stanhope builds to an intense climax before returning to a renewed and altered form of stillness, and we conclude with Ravel’s highly original work in which he accentuated what he considered to be the essential “incompatibility” of the violin and piano, using new-to-Paris American blues and jazz inspirations.
Friday 28 June
A Poet’s Love
Kyle Stegall tenor
Anna Goldsworthy pianoRobert Schumann Dichterliebe, Op. 48
Clara Schumann Lieder aus Jucunde, Op. 23A poignant and enduring work exploring themes of love, longing, and heartbreak, Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe, composed in 1840, sets 16 poems by Heinrich Heine to music. Exciting tenor, Yale graduate Kyle Stegall is joined by pianist Anna Goldsworthy for a program that also features songs from Clara Schumann.
Friday 5 July
Percussion Miniatures
'Crash Collective'
Sami Butler, Andrew Penrose, Jack De La Lande, Max Ziliotto and Ryan Grunwald percussionwith Holly Piccoli violin
Nigel Westlake Omphalo Centric Lecture
Philip Glass arr. David Skidmore Madeira River
Elena Kats-Chernin arr. Andrew Penrose Eliza Aria from Wild Swans
Mark Ford CABASA!
John Psathas Kyoto
Mozart arr. Andrew Penrose Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (1st movement)Five outstanding percussion graduates of the Elder Conservatorium come together to perform a gripping program of percussion music.
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Lunchtime Concerts, Season Two
- All Concerts in Elder Hall at 1:10pm. Doors open 12:30pm.
- $20 general admission, or purchase a Gold Pass subscription for more than 33% savings.
Friday 2 August
ASQ’s Open House
Australian String Quartet
with Elder Conservatorium students
Mark Ferguson Thinornis Rubricollis (The Hoodies) (new work)
Jacques Ibert Capriccio for Ten Instruments
Thomas Gray Perfume (new work)
Dmitri Shostakovich Scherzo for String Octet, Op 11Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Adelaide, the Australian String Quartet, perform new works by Mark Simeon Ferguson and Thomas Gray, alongside chamber favourites from Ibert and Shostakovich.
Friday 9 August
Shadows to Light
Elder Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra
Elizabeth Layton director/violin
Tim Tran violaMendelssohn String Symphony No. 6 in E flat major
Kristopher Man String Suite (Premiere)
Hindemith Trauermusik for viola and strings
Elgar Serenade for Strings, Op. 20Imagine the drama when George V died hours before Hindemith was due to premiere his viola concerto in London. Adrian Boult instead asked him to contribute to a commemoration concert, so Hindemith wrote Trauermusik in six hours before the BBC live broadcast that evening. Despite the inauspicious premiere of Elgar’s Serenade by the “Worcester Ladies Orchestral Class”, it’s a piece full of poignant lyricism and one of the composer’s own personal favourite works. A new work by teenage Conservatorium student Kristopher Man is premiered. And Mendelssohn’s string symphonies were all written before the age of fourteen.
Friday 16 August
Cinderella
Natasha Vlassenko and Oleg Stepanov piano duo
Prokofiev / Pletnev Cinderella Suite
Liszt Les PreludesThis two-piano version of Prokofiev’s 1945 Cinderella Suite premiered in 2002 in Lugano to rave reviews. The arranger, celebrated pianist Mikhael Pletnev, more than held his own with his virtuosic duo partner, Martha Argerich, in this interpretation of the ballet score. Prokofiev wrote of the difficulties he faced in expressing “the poetic love of Cinderella and the Prince, the birth and flowering of that love, the obstacles in its path and finally the dream fulfilled”, and Pletnev more than successfully took up the challenge.
Friday 23 August
Shining Septet
Lloyd Van’t Hoff clarinet
Emma Gregan horn
Mark Gaydon bassoon
Elizabeth Layton violin
Stephen King viola
Thomas Marlin cello
Rob Nairn double bassBeethoven Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20
An all-star ensemble of Elder Conservatorium staff performing one of Beethoven’s most popular works. “That damned thing… I wish it were burnt” – Beethoven fumed over this septet, not from lack of audience appreciation but because it was such a hit he felt that it was overshadowing his more ground-breaking works. Although written with a strong eye to commercial success, he was still somewhat revolutionary here, featuring more than one wind instrument with strings and allowing them all (apart from the bass) solo passages.
Friday 30 August
Restless Spirit
Timothy Young and Paavali Jumppanen piano duo
Liszt Faust Symphony
Liszt wrote A Faust Symphony; Three Character Pictures, Faust, Gretchen and Mephistopheles, after Goethe in 1854, adding a triumphant choral finale later. His version for two pianos appeared eight years later. Faust’s first theme employs one of the earliest 12-tone rows in history; the second movement portrays Faust’s yearning for Gretchen; whilst the third characterizes Mephistopheles as a spirit of negation with no themes of his own – just transformations and distortions from the first two movements.
Friday 6 September
Triumph and Tragedy
Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Braithwaite conductor
Haowei Yang pianoRavel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet
Kristopher Man new workRavel was at the height of his powers when he acceded to a request from Paul Wittgenstein, a pianist who lost his right arm during WWI. Dark-hued sonorities in the piano combine with astonishing orchestral effects from unusual instrumental combinations. Balakirev suggested Tchaikovsky write a work based on Romeo and Juliet, and after much typical soul searching, criticism and reworking he finally received praise from the Kutchka and growing audience appreciation. Today, the love theme could hardly be more familiar after multiple screen appearances. Also featuring another premiere for Conservatorium student Kristopher Man.
Friday 13 September
Romantic Resonance
Lucinda Collins piano
Helen Ayres violin
Stephen King viola
Thomas Marlin celloHarry Sdraulig Piano Quartet, New Australian Commission 2023
Schumann Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op. 47Melbourne University graduate Sdraulig is a successful composer, doctoral student and lecturer in Sydney. His Fantasia on Waltzing Matilda, commissioned by Yo Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott, brought him international recognition. This new quartet is in seven parts with contrasting lyricism, intricate rhythmic and motivic drive and harmonies inspired by classical and jazz genres. Schumann’s 1842 quartet followed just weeks after his piano quintet and the four movements formed a culmination of the genre that would influence all who followed.
Friday 20 September
Whispers of Wind and Strings
Kathryn Moorhead flute
Aleksandr Tsiboulski guitarCastelnuovo-Tedesco Sonatina, Op. 205
Telemann Fantasia in A major for solo flute
Joan Tower Snow Dreams
Kate Moore Blue Cobalt
Piazzolla Histoire du Tango (selections)
Paganini Cantabile in D major, Op. 17Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s lively duo includes one of his most exquisite melodies in the second slow movement. It was mainly Telemann’s 12 Fantasias that enriched the solo flute repertoire in the first half of the 18th century, profoundly influencing the development of the instrument. Histoire du tango is now heard in many instrumental combinations but was originally written for this precise pairing. The first two movements precede a finale of Paganini’s only violin and piano composition in which he abandons acrobatics in favour of soulful operatic lines. Featuring flute lecturer Kathryn Moorhead and alumnus Aleksandr Tsiboulski.
Friday 27 September
Welcome Winds
Special guests from the Los Angeles Philharmonic,
with Elder Conservatorium studentsAn outstanding opportunity to hear some of the world’s best wind players performing side-by-side with our own Elder Conservatorium students. Featuring decorated alumnus Andrew Bain, principal horn of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and four of his esteemed colleagues from the LA Phil, in a program presenting highlights from Dvořák, Gounod, and Jean Françaix.
Friday 4 October
Untrodden Ways
NZTrio
Jennifer Higdon Piano Trio
Reuben Jelleyman / J.S. Bach Büchlein Reimaginings (selections)
Arno Babadjanian Trio in F-Sharp minorWelcome to our friends from across the Tasman! Higdon here explored the relationship of colours, mood and music which resulted in two movements entitled “Pale Yellow” and “Fiery Red.” Meanwhile, New Zealand composer Jelleyman, renowned for inventive melodies and harmonies, took his inspiration from Bach chorales, and lastly the deep emotions of Armenian culture shine through in Babadjanian’s compelling Trio. The latter was a contemporary of Prokofiev, Shostakovich and fellow Armenian Khachaturian and avoided censure under Stalin, presumably due to his enthusiastic use of folk idiom and strong pride in his native land.
Friday 11 October
Blue Shades
Elder Conservatorium Wind Orchestra
Lloyd Van't Hoff conductorSamuel Hazo Arabesque
John Mackey Aurora Awakes
Percy Grainger Children’s March
Frank Ticheli Blue ShadesFriday 18 October
The Adelaide Connection
Lauren Henderson director
Hear the Adelaide Connection choir, directed by Lauren Henderson, sing jazz standards arranged by Adelaide Connection alumni, including Ross Burford, Naomi Crellin, Ciara Ferguson, Jo Lawry, Sally Luke Thompson, Mark Ferguson, and more.
Friday 25 October
Top Class
Our annual classical performance showcase concert, featuring top student performers from the Elder Conservatorium of Music. Supported by the Peter Brooker Prize for Musical Excellence.
Friday 1 November
Mountains, Clouds, Streams
Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra
Luke Dollman conductor
Loo Sze-wang shengStephen Whittington Mountains, Clouds, Streams
Inspired by the subtle colours and tonal gradations of Chinese inkbrush landscape painting, Stephen Whittington’s new work Mountains, Clouds, Streams combines a Western orchestra with traditional Chinese instruments to evoke the mystery and profundity of the natural world and the place of humans within it – themes that have featured in Chinese poetry, art and music for millenia.
Friday 8 November
On a Spring Morning
Seraphim Trio
Lili Boulanger D'un Matin de Printemps (“On a Spring Morning”)
Camille Saint-Saëns Trio in E minor, Op. 92
* Please note, The Ringtone Cycle concert has been postponed until 2025 *Friday 15 November
Ljiljana Vukelja Piano Recital
Ljiljana Vukelja piano
Beethoven Sonata No. 31 in A flat major, Op. 110
Vladimir Tošić Retude (minimalist Etude)
Henri Dutilleux Sonata in F sharp minor, Op.1A captivating journey exploring the evolution of the sonata form. Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 110 in A-flat major is a profound work from the composer’s late period, rich with lyrical beauty and emotional depth. Serbian composer Vladimir Tošić's Retida No. 6 offers a striking contrast, with minimalist textures and rhythmic intricacies, bridging the classical and contemporary worlds. Henri Dutilleux's Sonata Op. 1 blends French lyricism with modern harmonic language, presenting a bold reinterpretation of the sonata form in the 20th century. Ljiljana Vukelja is a Serbian pianist and Professor at the University of Art, Belgrade.
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Elder After Hours Series
Friday 19 April, 7:30pm
Elder Music Lab
Esmond Choi piano
George Crumb Metamorphoses, Book II
A series of solo-piano miniatures with a rich sound world inspired by classic paintings, ranging from Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 The Starry Night to Simon Dinnerstein’s 1991 Purple Haze. A free concert performed by Elder Conservatorium Masters student Esmond Choi.
Free concert, bookings not required.
Saturday 27 April, 6:30pm
Matthew Sheens Solo
Matthew Sheens piano
One of the Con’s most successful jazz graduates, New York-based Matthew Sheens returns to Elder Hall for the first time in over a decade to perform music from his recent albums, including his latest “Written in the Dark”. Don’t miss this evening of innovative jazz!
Wednesday 15 May, 6:30pm
Future Memories
Gala ConcertBeethoven Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11
Poulenc Sextet for Piano and Winds, Op. 100
Keith Crellin Piano Trio
Mendelssohn Octet for Strings in E-flat major, Op. 20A stellar assembly of Conservatorium staff and alumni gather for a special gala concert, at once demonstrating the artistry and collegiality of our community, while raising funds to support our ongoing mission. Beethoven’s Gassenhauer Trio displays a rare combination of clarinet, cello and piano. Good-humoured Poulenc produced his light-hearted, satiric sextet whilst a member of Les Six and by sixteen Mendelssohn was already a highly experienced composer when this “miracle of the 19th century” flowed from his pen as a birthday present for a violinist friend. Crellin is widely known as a leading Australian solo and chamber violist, as well as for his long-term teaching at the Elder Conservatorium, but here demonstrates another string to his bow.
Saturday 25 May, 6:30pm
Homegrown Jazz
University of Adelaide Big Band and Latin Ensemble
Dustan Cox and Mark Ferguson directors
Lauren Henderson voiceSongs and instrumental works by alumni Lauren Henderson, Jo Lawry, M.S. Ferguson, Christina Guala-Goodwin, Jasmine Ferguson, and Thomas Voss.
Friday 5 July, 7pm
ASQ in Concert: Vanguard
Australian String Quartet
Beethoven String Quartet in E-flat major, Op.127
Harry Sdraulig new work
Korngold String Quartet No.2 in E-flat majorThe first under-rehearsed performance of Beethoven’s Op. 127 by the Schuppanzigh group was poorly received, but it fared better in the hands of Joseph Böhm who reported that Beethoven keenly attended rehearsals and despite his deafness, managed to follow the bowing so intently that he corrected tiny errors in tempo and rhythm. Australian composer Sdraulig offers a new work (his 2023 piano quartet is scheduled in the Lunchtime series in September) before Korngold’s second quartet. Whilst best known now for his film music, Korngold was also an anti-serialist classical composer and this work is full of Viennese imagery with the waltzes of Johann Strauss II and lyricism of his namesake Richard coming to mind.
Sunday 1 September, 3pm
Journeys and Stories 2
Elder Conservatorium Chorale
Carl Crossin conductor
Karl Geiger piano
Jack Overall celloEric Whitacre The Sacred Veil
Powerful, moving, lyrical, striking… This is a story of love and loss, of coping and, ultimately, of moving forward. With texts by Eric Whitacre’s long-time friend and librettist Charles Anthony Silvestri, the twelve stunningly beautiful movements of The Sacred Veil chronicle a very personal story of one family’s journey through cancer.
Sunday 6 October, 2:30pm
Bach and French Romanticism
Eva Schad organ
JS Bach Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 552
JS Bach Trio Sonata No. 4 in G major
JS Bach Concerto in A minor (after Vivaldi), BWV 593
Léon Boëllmann Suite Gothique
Louis Vierne selected works
Jehan Alain Deuxième fantaisie
Marcel Dupré Prelude and Fugue in G minor, Op. 7 No. 3Bach was distinctly more famous as an organist than a composer during his lifetime. At age eighteen he went to Arnstadt to take up the position of organist at St Boniface from where he made his 200-mile trek to hear Buxtehude play. France’s great organ tradition dates back to Titelouze in the early 1600s, progressing from polyphony to the ornamented style for which Couperin was renowned. César Frank later inspired a new generation of stars, teaching Vierne (Notre Dame’s almost blind organist for 37 years) and inspiring Boëllmann. The hugely virtuosic Dupré studied under both Widor and Vierne then in turn taught Jehan who was playing professionally at St Germain-en-Laye by the age of eleven.
Friday 18 October, 7:00pm
David Shifrin and Friends
* Unfortunately due to circumstances outside of our control, this performance has been postponed *
David Shifrin clarinet
with Elder Conservatorium students and guestsLegend of the clarinet and winner of the coveted Avery Fisher Prize, Mr David Shifrin will visit the Elder Conservatorium as part of the EMR Distinguished Visiting Artist program. Working closely with students for an intensive period of workshops and tutorials, Mr Shifrin’s visit culminates in this exciting concert, with both students and the master himself taking turns centre stage.
Saturday 26 October, 6:30pm
Guitarissimo
A delight for lovers of classical guitar, this annual showcase concert features an array of works for solo guitar and small chamber groups, culminating in a performance by the heralded Elder Conservatorium Guitar Ensemble. Curated by Dr Oliver Fartach-Naini.
Livestreaming
Our most recent livestream (Friday 15 November) can be watched here.