ACMF 2024 | Program Session 1
Albury Chamber Music Festival ’24
8 – 10 November 2024
“Beyond Borders”
This year, we truly are the Albury International Chamber Music Festival, with artists and compositions from over 30 countries! We are crossing borders left, right and centre (even from Albury to Wodonga!) to present a superb platter of chamber music, including fresh new works by eight Australian composers – with three world premieres! Expect the unexpected: little surprises, pop-up performances, exotic animals and an All-BRIE food pop-up. And if you come on your own, no worries, we can pretty much guarantee that you will leave Albury with a couple of new musical friends!
Your all-inclusive festival pass gives you access to ten exciting performances at the beautiful deco heritage-listed Regent Cinema, St Matthew’s Church, and the jewel in the crown, the Adamshurst ballroom. A sumptuous three-course dinner (valued at $100) at the exclusive Albury Club Gala performance is also included in your pass.
ACMF | 24, let’s go!
Venues:
Adamshurst, 603 David St, Albury NSW 2640
Regent Cinemas, 456 Dean St, Albury NSW 2640
St Matthew’s Church, 516 Kiewa St, Albury NSW 2640
The Albury Club, 519 Kiewa St, Albury NSW 2640
Friday 8 November - Session 1
Session 1, Performance 1
St Matthew’s Church
Friday, 8 November, 2:00pm-3:00pm
It is hard to match Beethoven, but Leonard Bernstein got very close. He was a true cross-border artist, merging classical and jazz, and West Side Story was his masterpiece. The Australian String Trio (and friend) will let rip in the Beethoven, while piano virtuosos Stephen de Pledge and Konrad Olszewski will groove like hell, with our percussionists demonstrating why they are called the groove-ministers.
Breakfast Information: Bernstein “borrowed” the opening notes in his West Side Story’s “There’s place for us” from the second movement of Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto.
Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No 4 in C minor, Op.18, No. 4
Leonard Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
for two pianos and percussion
Australian String Trio and Friend:
Roy Theaker, violin
Sophia Kirsanova, violin
Simon Oswell, viola
Kalina Krusteva, cello
The Lenny Ensemble:
Stephen de Pledge, piano
Konrad Olszewski, piano
Edward Higgs, percussion
Michael Evans-Barker, percussion
Session 1, Performance 2, Gala Dinner-Food World
The Albury Club
Friday, 8 November, 6:00pm-9:00pm
An entertaining evening of music with our festival orchestra and a delicious three-course meal from the Albury Club will make life beautiful.
What will happen this year? A xylophonist in Lederhosen, a singing priest, an alpaca, a Malteser race, a Limerick Competition? You’ll find out on the night, as always, expect the unexpected.
Sally-Anne Russell, mezzo soprano
Teddy Tahu Rhodes, bass-baritone
Glavier Aldana, harp
Art of Sound Salonorchestra:
Roy Theaker, violin
Robert Schubert, clarinet
Kalina Krusteva, cello
Michael Fortescue, double bass
Konrad Olszewski, piano
Mario Dobernig, conductor and percussion
Session 1, Performance 3, A Venezuelan Candlelight Delight-Harpist Glavier Aldana
St Matthew’s Church
Friday, 8 November, 9:30pm
A graduate of the world renowned El Sistema music training program in Venezuela, Glavier will serenade us into the night and talk about her musical upbringing.
Carols Salzedo Song in the Night,
Alphonse Hasselmans Gitana
Aldemaro Romero Quinta Anauco,
Manuel Guadalajara Yo no te olvidaré,
Ramon Delgado Palacios La dulzura de tu rostro,
Lecuona Malagueña from Andalucía
Friday 8 November - Session 2
Check out last year’s gallery of gorgeous photographs from Living Imagery in our 2023 photo galleries.
We can’t wait for ACMF | 24! Tickets are on sale here.
Saturday 9 November - Session 1
Session 1, Performance 4, Organ Recital-Antonio di Vacanza aka Anthony Halliday
St Matthew’s Church
Saturday, 9 November, 9:00am-10:00am
A former winner of the ABC Young Performer award, Beethoven fanatic and italophile, Anthony Halliday has ORGANised audiences around the world but still calls Australia home.
Festival guests are also invited to submit their favourite tunes, which Anthony will improvise on during his performance. The catch, Anthony will only receive the tunes one minute prior to his performance…. Get creative!
Johann Sebastian Bach Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor BWV 582
Ludwig van Beethoven
(transcribed by Anthony Halliday) Overture ‘Fidelio’ Op. Suite Op. 5
Maurice Duruflé Prélude – Sicilienne – Toccata
Extemporization on three previously unseen themes.
Session 1, Performance 5, Admiring Mairi-Radio presenter Mairi Nicholson
Regent Cinemas Albury
Saturday, 9 November, 10:45am-11:45am
She interviews the stars on the ABC and the BBC, she shares their stories. For this event we are turning the tables with legendary radio presenter Mairi Nicholson answering our questions.
Session 1, Performance 6, Dream World: Stephen de Pledge, piano
St Matthew’s Church
Saturday, 9 November, 3:00pm-4:00pm
Stephen de Pledge’s dreams came true: he appeared as a piano soloist with the Philharmonia, Bournemouth Symphony, BBC Scottish Symphony and all the major New Zealand orchestras. In this fantasy-themed performance, he will share his musical dreams, and remind us, that dreams sometimes may come true.
Johann Sebastian Bach/Myra Hess Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Joseph Haydn Variations in F minor Hob.XVII:6
Olivier Messiaen Prelude “chant d’extase dans un paysage triste”
Claude Debussy Prelude “ce qu’a vu le vent d’ouest”
Eve de Castro-Robinson Prelude “this liquid drift of light”
Frédéric Chopin Prelude op.28 no.15 “Raindrop”
Sergei Rachmaninoff Prelude op.23 no.2
Manuel de Falla Ritual Fire Dance (Improvisation)
Session 1, Performance 7, Berio Folk Songs
Adamshurst Ballroom
Saturday, 9 November, 5:00pm-6:00pm
From all the places on earth we come, and we’ve brought our music with us! This performance will be a musical mishmash from everywhere! Armenian, Azerbaijani, Bulgarian, French, Italian, Latvian, Venezuelan, Indigenous Australian and of course Australian from Pakenham and Wang(aratta).
Sally-Anne Russell, mezzo soprano
John Bolton Wood, baritone
Sally Walker, flutes
Robert Schubert, clarinet
Glavier Aldana, harp
Simon Oswell, viola
Kalina Krusteva, cello
Michael Evans-Barker, percussion
Edward Higgs, percussion
Mario Dobernig, percussion
Luciano Berio Folksongs for chamber ensemble
Brenda Gifford Mungala (Clouds) for solo alto flute and clap sticks
Brett Anthony Jones Semicolon 1 and 2 for solo paper (world premiere)
Petar Hristoskov Fantasy for solo cello
Peteris Vasks Landscapes with Birds for solo flute
Noel Fidge The conceited dancer for baritone (world premiere)
La dulzura de tu rostro,
Lecuona Malagueña from Andalucía
Sunday 10 November - Session 1
Session 1, Performance 8, Paradise Bound
St Matthew’s Church
Sunday, 10 November, 9:00am-10:30am
We crossed some borders, we looked beyond them, so what else is there to see? We leave the earth behind and see what paradise looks like. Fr Peter Macleod-Miller will be your tour guide.
Sally-Anne Russell, mezzo-soprano
John Bolton Wood AM, baritone
Anthony Halliday, organ
Lux Alba, chamber choir
Andrew Goodwin For God so loved the world, for chamber choir (world premiere)
Stephen Adams The holy city, for baritone
Jodie O’Regan In the centre we dance, for mezzo soprano
Johann Sebastian Bach Erbarme Dich, for mezzo-soprano and violin
William Schmidt The Christmas Rose, for chamber choir (world premiere)
Michael Leighton Jones TBA
Session 1, Performance 9, English Folk Song Journey with Teddy Tahu Rhodes
Adamshurst Ballroom
Sunday, 10 November, 12:00pm-1:00pm
With engagements around the world, we are so thrilled to have Teddy Tahu Rhodes join us in Albury. Burnished, breathtaking, bass baritone sounds are guaranteed and with Konrad Olszweski on the piano a musical feast is guaranteed.
Teddy Tahu Rhodes, bass-baritone
Konrad Olszewski, piano
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Songs of Travel
- The vagabond
- Let beauty awake
- The roadside fire
- Youth and love
- In dreams
- The infinite shining heavens
- Whither must I wander
- Bright is the ring of words
- I have trod the upward and the downward slope
Gerald Finzi Let us garlands bring
- Come away, come away death
- Who is Sylvia
- Fear no more the heat of the sun
- O mistress mine
- It was a lover and his lass
Session 1 Brass and Brie 1:15pm-2:00pm
Join our friends from across the border for a cheese platter of brie. Yum yum.
Wodonga Brass Band
Fenella O’Sullivan, conductor
Session 1, Performance 10, Global Rhythms: The Mathiske Suites
Guitar virtuoso ACMF Chamber Orchestra.
St Matthew’s Church
Sunday, 10 November, 3:00pm-4:00pm
The Mathiske Suites combines the guitarist’s technical acumen and lust for travel. Whilst predominantly classical in structure, the music is coloured from a wide palette of global rhythms with orchestral laced colours in an enchanting music feast rich in rhythm yet steeped in tender melodies.
Bruce Mathiske, guitar
ACMF chamber orchestra
Sally Walker, flute
Scott Marshall, oboe
Robert Schubert, clarinet
Roy Theaker, violin
Sophia Kirsanova, violin
Simon Oswell, viola
Kalina Krusteva, cello
Michael Fortescue, double bass
Mario Dobernig, conductor
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