Latest news
Il Trovatore – scenes from Opera Australia
Il Trovatore is being performed in the Joan Sutherland Opera Theatre of the Sydney Opera House on selected dates until March 5th 2013. All images by Branco Gaiaca, courtesy Opera Australia.
‘In Britten’s Footsteps’ – the birds that inspired Britten
Sound Recordist Chris Watson has spent a year immersed in the countryside around Benjamin Britten’s home in Suffolk, recording and listening to the birdsongs which inspired the composer. Watson has incorporated these songs with the music of Britten to create a unique new piece called In Britten’s Footsteps which will premiere this February. Watson says “The spatial aspect of…
Sally Whitwell performs with ‘Master’ Glass
Sydney based pianist Sally Whitwell has created a finely crafted niche for herself as an exponent of the solo piano music of Philip Glass. In February 2013, she will perform alongside Glass at the Perth Festival, in a work partly commissioned by the Perth Festival. Glass’ Complete Piano Etudes comprises 20 works, the last three…
“A Masked Ball” unmasked
These fabulous images are from Opera Australia’s production of Verdi’s A Masked Ball opens tonight in Sydney. A co-production with Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, La Monnaie in Brussels and the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet in Oslo, A Masked Ball is presented in association with Sydney Festival. This world première new was devised by La Fura del Baus, the Catalan theatre…
Vale Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar, the man who introduced Indian classical music and its instruments to the western world, died earlier this week in the US. He formed never before contemplated collaborations with musicians from The Beatles to Yehudi Menuhin, Andre Previn to Philip Glass, John Coltrane and Jean-Pierre Rampal. The three times Grammy award winner is the…
David Paul Landa piano scholarship winner announced
Pianist Young Kwon Choi has been awarded the 2012 biennial Albert Paul Landa Scholarship. In a small ceremony at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, presented by Musica Viva, the CEO Mary Jo Capps made the award on behalf of the NSW Government. The award of $25,000 is a travelling scholarship in memory of the…
Latest reviews
Salome reviewed
The character Salome has about as many layers as veils with which she is draped. Gale Edwards directs a thoughtful and refreshing take on the eponymously titled opera by Richard Strauss, which opened in Sydney last week. The narrative is beautifully integrated with Julie Lynch’s costumes, Brian Thomson’s set designs and Kelley Abbey’s choreography. The production is supremely well presented…
Tranquillity: Voices of Deep Calm
There’s no doubt that the sound of the St Petersburg Chamber Choir is quite distinctive. Whether it is the Russian language, the way they speak, the way they sing or even something ‘in the air’, they produce a richness that is unique. The ensemble, conducted y Nikolai Korniev has recorded a compilation of a capella sacred works…