DATE: Thursday 31 October 2024
TIMES: Concert 6-7 pm. Bar open from 5pm.
TICKETS: $38 / $32
Details
CSO Down South closes its 2024 chamber series with a presentation of piano works which pay homage to heritage, exploring familial connections in works by Dvorak, Suk and Mendelssohn. Be enchanted by Elena Kats-Chernin’s Calliope Dreaming, a modern Australian masterpiece featuring evocative rhythms and mesmerising melodies, allowing your imagination to take flight. Experience the warmth and nostalgia of Dvorak’s Songs my Mother Told Me, a journey through the heart of Czech folk traditions, full of old-world rustic charm and heartfelt emotion. We end with the sublime and hauntingly beautiful Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op.49 by Mendelssohn, a work full of timeless elegance and enchantment, showcasing the precision of Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s Piano Trio.
Repertoire
Kats Chernin Calliope Dreaming
Dvorak Songs my Mother Told Me
Mendelssohn Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op.49
Meet the musicans
Kirsten Williams – Violin
Patrick Suthers – Cello
Susanne Powell – Piano
Kirsten Williams
One of Australia’s leading violinists, Kirsten Williams has performed widely as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, in concert and on ABC radio. In 2019, she was appointed Concertmaster of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO). In 2021, she led the Australian National University’s (ANU) Women in Music program. Kirsten studied with Alice Waten at the Sydney Conservatorium and with Igor Ozim in Switzerland. She then joined the Royal Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, touring and recording widely. On returning to Australia, Kirsten was appointed Associate Leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She has also appeared as guest Concertmaster of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the Sydney Philharmonia and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. From 2000 to 2019, Kirsten was Associate Concertmaster with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. A dedicated teacher, Kirsten has a central role in the CSO’s Kingsland Pathways Program, leading the Canberra Symphony Youth Chamber Orchestra for advanced players aged 11 to 19, and working with the Kingsland Fellows. She has also worked with the Sydney and Australian youth orchestras and has joined the teaching staff at the ANU School of Music. Kirsten has a passion for music for healing: she has recorded two CDs for the Australian Bush Flower Essences and, in 2014, was named Volunteer of the Year for her work playing in the Intensive Care Unit at Westmead Children’s Hospital. That same year, she became patron of the Goulburn Strings Project, designed to bring music education to children in low-socioeconomic, regional contexts.
Patrick Suthers
Patrick Suthers is the Principal Cellist of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO). Patrick studied cello at the Australian National University’s School of Music with David Pereira and Julian Smiles. He graduated with First Class Honours and a University Medal. Patrick’s musical training also included a Fellowship with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO). As a Fellow, he worked regularly with the SSO and performed frequent chamber music concerts with the SSO Fellowship Ensemble, including private performances for Pope Benedict XVI, and received chamber tuition from the Takács Quartet, the Jerusalem Quartet, and visiting international soloists. Patrick’s career as a cellist has included extensive orchestral work, including with the Canberra, Sydney, Queensland (Associate Principal) and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. He has also enjoyed the opportunity to perform in a variety of chamber ensembles and orchestras; orchestras for opera, ballet and film scoring; and in music education concerts. Since 2012, Patrick has been the Principal Cellist of the CSO and enjoyed a successful career in the Australian Public Service. He lives in Canberra with his wife Caroline, who plays viola with the CSO, and their two children and two miniature schnauzers. Patrick’s interests outside music include food, wine, and film. Sponsored by Paul Lindwall & Joanne Frederiksen
Susanne Powell
Pianist Susanne Powell is a well-known Canberra performer who has shared the stage with some of the world’s leading artists. Often performing at the Sydney Opera House on a wide variety of keyboard instruments including piano, celesta, synthesiser, harpsichord and occasionally a Mac computer, Susanne is an ACT Creative Arts Fellow and keen mentor of upcoming Australian talent. Susanne has appeared with many artists including Cho Liang (Jimmy) Lin, Dimitri Ashkenazy, Peter Coleman-Wright, Dr G Yunupingu, Nick Cave and Ben Folds. She performs regularly with the Sydney Symphony, Australian Ballet and Gondwana Choirs. Susanne has worked with the world’s leading conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Valery Gergiev, Christoph von Dohnányi and Simone Young. She has performed in world premieres of works by John Adams, Brett Dean and Thomas Adès and played piano in Nigel Westlake’s award-winning Oboe Concerto on Diana Doherty’s CD Spirit of the Wild. Susanne can also be heard on the soundtrack for the upcoming movie, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway. After graduating with Honours from the Sydney Conservatorium, Susanne continued her studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna. She has been a faculty member of ANU and tutors regularly for the Australian Youth Orchestra.
Notes
* The Tuggeranong Arts Centre Theatre is raked steeply. People with mobility issues are advised that the top two and bottom two rows are the most easily accessible. Please advise us if you have mobility issues and we can direct you to your seats.
