DATE: Saturday 17 October, 2026

TIME: 1:30pm / Afternoon tea 2:30pm

COST: $35 / $40

A Viola In Bloom

Robert Harris – Viola
Robert Manley – Piano

Bearing the name of a flower, the viola blossoms in sound – warm, mellow, and expressive. In this Saturday afternoon concert program, the viola’s uniquely beautiful voice joins forces with the clarity and elegance of the piano to create a true bouquet of musical delights. Just as the viola shares its name with a flower, each composer featured in this unique program shares the same initial. Opening with the profound architecture of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, then unfolding through the romantic warmth of Bruch and the introspective depth of Ernest Bloch. It expands into the rich colours of Granville Bantock and the vivid originality of Bartók, before arriving at elegant contrasts from Leonard Bernstein, The Beatles, Burt Bacharach, and Arthur Benjamin.

Program

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Sonata in G Major, BWV 1027 (c. 1720) – 1st movt: Adagio

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Variations WoO 45 (1796) on ‘See the conqu’ring Hero Comes’ from Handel’s ‘Judas Maccabeus’, HWV 63 (1746)

 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Scherzo from the FAE Sonata (1853) dedicated to the violinist Josef Joachim

 Max Bruch (1838-1920): Kol Nidrei Op. 47 (1880)

 Granville Bantock (1868-1946): Hamabdil (1919)

 Ernest Bloch (1880-1959): From Jewish Life, B.54 (1924) – Jewish Song

 Bela Bartok (1881- 1945): from the Gyermekeknek (For Children) folk music settings (1908-9/1945)

 A potpourri of music in lighter contrasting styles by Arthur Benjamin (1893-1960), Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), Burt Bacharach (1928-2023) and The Beatles.

About the Artists

Robert Harris

Robert Harris, a past Principal/Guest Principal Viola of professional orchestras in Australia, Asia, Europe & North America, for the ACO, Australian Ballet and Opera Australia, Robert has also performed as a recitalist over 50-plus years in 30-plus countries, from London’s Wigmore Hall to the Hong Kong Arts Centre, in Musica Viva and Foreign Affairs tours, especially with the then Armidale-based New England Ensemble. By preference a freelance performer since 1994, Robert has toured as Principal for such greats as Luciano Pavarotti, Barbra Streisand, Mikas Theodorakis, Topol, Stevie Wonder, Andrew Lloyd Webber and for music theatre: Crazy for You, Fiddler on the Roof, Hello Dolly, Les Miserables, South Pacific & more. Robert’s Churchill Fellowship (1998-99) reflected his ongoing successes in outreach projects, especially to non-city ommunities: Montville Concerts, a Music in Regional Galleries network, The Galston Concerts, his perennial Cafe Viola regional workshops and Tuggeranong’s own Mid-Week Music Gatherings.

Robert Manley

Robert Manley is a new generation pianist, accomplished in ‘big city’ successes in his hometown Brisbane and the National Academy of Music in Melbourne, since 2023 preferring to be based as Collaborative Pianist of the New England Conservatorium in Armidale NSW, following similar rolls with the University of Queensland, the Queensland Ballet and the Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition. Robert’s performance accolades include the Queensland Music Festival, New England Bach Festival and the Huon Valley Chamber Music Festival. His devotion to regional communities, balanced by concerts in our state capitals, is a natural expansion of Rob’s Post-Doctoral Fellowship research of socio-cultural and musical factors which influence audience engagement with Classical music outside metropolitan areas. Robert’s further multi-talents as a recorder player (as soloist with the Queensland Symphony) and cellist (playing with QSO, Tasmanian Symphony and Auckland Philharmonia) suggest a breadth of musical experience and understanding.

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