FIONA SARGEANT & LEIGH HARROLD: BACH, HINDEMITH, CHOPIN
SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER 2024, 8PM

Fiona Sargeant, viola
Leigh Harrold, piano

PROGRAM

J. S. BACH Partita for violin no. 2 in D minor
Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue

Paul HINDEMITH Trauermusik

Frédéric CHOPIN Mazurka in F# minor opus 59 no. 3

Paul HINDEMITH Der Schwanendreher

TICKETS $35 | CONCESSION $15

ABOUT FIONA SARGEANT

Fiona Sargeant is a classical musician known for her exceptional talent as a viola player. She discovered her love for music performance while studying at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. Fiona's further studies included chamber music and viola performance under Hermann Voss, Melos Quartet at the Hochschule für Musik und Dartstellende Kunst in Stuttgart

Fiona has had the privilege of studying under Ulrich Koch, Wolfram Christ, and Gérard Caussé. During her time in Germany, Fiona achieved the distinction of being a Finalist at the Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition.

Throughout her career, Fiona has held esteemed positions, including Principal Violist of the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and the Det Jyske Ensemble in Denmark, as well as Associate Principal Violist of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she was honoured to be a founding member of the viola section of the Australian World Orchestra, collaborating with renowned conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Simone Young, Sir Simon Rattle, and Alex Briger. Fiona's chamber music endeavours have seen her perform alongside esteemed musicians such as Emmanuel Ax and James Ehnes at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Notable festival appearances include performances with the Australian String Quartet and Seraphim Trio at the Port Fairy Festival, where she also showcased her talent in performing 'Harold in Italy' with pianist Piers Lane. Fiona has also participated in festivals such as the Schwetzingen Festspiele, the Oberstdorf Music Festival joining the Melos Quartet, and the Pablo Casals Festival in Puerto Rico.

Fiona's repertoire as a solo viola performer encompasses a wide range of works, including concertos by Bartók and Hoffmeister, as well as the Hummel Fantasy, Schubert Arpeggione, and Max Bruch's double concerto for viola and clarinet, which she has performed with orchestras in Stuttgart, Melbourne, including the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and Baden Baden Philharmonic. In addition to her performance career, Fiona has held various teaching positions at esteemed institutions such as the Australian National Academy of Music and the University of Melbourne.

ABOUT LEIGH HARROLD

Leigh Harrold enjoys a reputation as a “musician of rare talent and intelligence”, and is one of Australia’s busiest and most sought-after pianists. He has performed extensively throughout Europe, North America, Africa and Australia as both soloist and chamber musician, including concerts at Australia House in London, the Royal Academy of Music, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Harare International Festival of Arts, and concerto engagements with many Australian orchestras.

His international reputation as an associate artist has led to collaborations with such luminaries as Thomas Reibl, lecturer in viola at the Salzburg Mozarteum; Michael Cox, principal flautist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra; Daniel Gaede, ex-concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; London flautist Wissam Boustany; New York violinist Charles Castleman; Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling; and British pianist Mark Gasser, to name just a few. Other significant international collaborations have included performance and studies with Andrew Ball at the London Royal College of Music; Sophie Cherrier at the Paris Conservatoire; New York-based pianist Lisa Moore and English composer Peter Maxwell Davies. He has twice been awarded the Geoffrey Parsons Award for Associate Artists, and in 2014 was the recipient of the pianist’s prize in the Mietta Song Competition.

PAST CONCERTS

MONDAY 4 MARCH 2024, 8PM*
BACH, BRAHMS, STRAVINSKY, FRANCK

with special guest Leigh Harrold

PROGRAM

J. S. BACH Suite for cello no. 5 in C minor BWV1011 (arr. viola, original tuning)
Johannes BRAHMS Sonata no. 2 in E flat Major, Op. 120 No. 2
Igor STRAVINSKY Élégie for solo viola
César FRANCK Sonata in A major for violin and piano (arr. viola)

——

SATURDAY 13TH JULY 2024, 8PM
BACH, BRAHMS, SCHUBERT5

with Leigh Harrold, piano

PROGRAM

Johannes BRAHMS Sonata in F minor, Op. 120 No. 1

J. S. BACH Chaconne from Partita no 2 in D minor for violin BWV 1004 (arr. viola)

W. A. MOZART Adagio in B minor K. 540 for piano solo

Franz SCHUBERT “Arpeggione” Sonata D. 821 (arr. viola)

——

SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 2024, 8PM
VIVE LA FRANCE

with Wendy Clarke, flute and Melina van Leeuwen, harp

PROGRAM

J.S BACH Cello Suite No.1 in G major, BWV 1007
Prélude - Allemande - Courante - Sarabande - Menuett I - Menuett II - Gigue

Jean-Philippe RAMEAU Pièces de Clavecin en Concert no. 5

Carlos SALZEDO Chanson dans la Nuit

- intermission -

Claude DEBUSSY Syrinx for solo flute

Jacques IBERT Deluxe Interludes

Maurice RAVEL Sonatine en trio

Claude DEBUSSY Sonata for flute, viola and harp

ABOUT WENDY CLARKE

Wendy Clarke has held the position of Associate Principal Flute at the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 1991. Born in Perth, Wendy studied with the late Owen Fisenden at the University of Western Australia, gaining a Bachelor of Music with Honours. Upon completion of her degree, Wendy was appointed Principal Piccolo with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra.

In 1982 and 1984 she studied briefly in England with Peter Lloyd, Principal Flute with the London Symphony Orchestra. Wendy spent several years at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts as a Lecturer in Flute before moving to Melbourne to take up her position with the MSO.

She has performed and recorded as soloist with the WASO, MSO and Academy of Melbourne, enjoys being an active chamber musician and 1996 she was invited to play with the World Symphony Orchestra in Bangkok.

ABOUT MELINA VAN LEEUWEN

Melina van Leeuwen performs nationally as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral performer. An avid chamber music artist, she is a founding member of the Chrysalis Trio, formed together with flautist Kiran Phatak and violist Katie Yap. The ensemble was awarded a competitive Australian National Academy of Music Artists title and embarked on a national tour in 2019. Highlights for Melina as a featured soloist have included multiple Sydney Symphony Fellows Concerts in 2022, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 2023 chamber series, the Melbourne Recital Centre’s 2019 Tenth Birthday Gala Concert and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra's opening 2016 concert series.

Performance highlights include the 2016 Helpmann award-winning Australian World Orchestra tour with Sir Simon Rattle, appearing as Principal Harp for the Australian World Orchestra's 2019 National Tour season, the 2014 World Harp Congress; 2023 Four Winds Festival; 2017 Dark Mofo festival; 2018 Mofo festival; Port Fairy Spring Music Festival; Canberra International Music Festival; Bendigo International Festival of Exploratory Music; the 2013 ARIA-award winning ‘Conversations with Ghosts’ collaborative project of James Ledger, Paul Kelly and Genevieve Lacey; and appearing as a guest soloist for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China.

Melina performs on a 2008 concert grand Salzedo harp by Chicago makers Lyon & Healy.

https://www.melinavanleeuwen.com/