Sydney musicians to shine in Queensland at the 30th Australian Festival of Chamber Music
Goldner String Quartet leads the Sydney charge to Townsville this July
The Goldner String Quartet leads a team of 19 Sydney-based musicians and presenters heading north to Townsville this July to perform at the 30thAustralian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM). And that's not all, an epic world premiere music event featuring the exclusively commissioned work of 25 Australian composers paying tribute to the Goldner's 25thanniversary will be performed in the North Queensland capital.
Sydney-based musicians set to shine in Townsville at the 30thAFCM include Diana Doherty (oboe), James Crabb (accordion), Kirsty McCahon (double bass), Tobias Breider (viola), Peter Coleman-Wright AO (baritone), William Barton (didgeridoo), David Greco (baritone), Jacqueline Porter (soprano), Cheryl Barker AO (soprano) along with the Nexas Quartet (Michael Duke, Andrew Smith, Nathan Henshaw and Jay Byrnes)
and the Goldner String Quartet (Dene Olding, Dimity Hall, Irina Morozova and Julian Smiles). In addition, ABC Classic's Russell Torrance will host Concert Conversations.
Baritone David Greco and soprano Jacqueline Porter will make their AFCM debut.
The 30th AFCM will be held from 23 July to 1 featuring 133 works, 112 composers, four world premieres and five Australian premieres performed by more than 40 Australian musicians, 15 in their AFCM debut. It is recognised as one of the best chamber music celebrations in the world.
Australian Festival of Chamber Music
23 July to 1 August 2021 in Townsville, North Queensland
www.afcm.com.au | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | #afcm2021
Imagery https://www.dropbox.com/sh/abz9b71lm5q91nk/AABy8an2kWNsn8R9zHI6LaTaa?dl=0
SYDNEY ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
William Barton
A proud Kalkadunga man now residing in Sydney, ARIA-award winning William Barton is a distinguished artist of extraordinary musicality, a virtuoso performer of the didgeridoo and a renowned composer of the highest acclaim who just last month was given the prestigious Australia Council Don Banks Music Award for outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia. Barton shares a long history with the AFCM, having been a regular performer for many years, and now is set to return to perform at three major events during the Festival. He last performed at the AFCM in 2012.
Diana Doherty Canada/Australia
Internationally recognised Principal Oboe of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Diana Doherty has performed as soloist with the New York, Liverpool and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras, Ensemble Kanazawa, Japan, all major Australian and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras, the Australian and Melbourne Chamber Orchestras, St. Lawrence String Quartet, Musica Viva, Seymour Group, and at festivals including Four Winds Festival, Prague Spring Festival, Musica Riva Festival in Italy, Bratislava Music Festival.
James Crabb Scotland/Australia
Scottish born James Crabb is widely regarded as one of the world's leading classical accordionists. Critics internationally have praised him for his breathtaking virtuosity and versatile musicianship. He has recorded for major record labels EMI Classics, Chandos. In 2019 James gave the World Premiere of Brett Dean's accordion concerto in Sweden and recorded for BIS label. He was Artistic Director of Four Winds (2016-20) and curator for UKARIA 24 festival.
Kirsty McCahon Australia
Bass player, curator, presenter, educator, ambassador, mother and avid tree planter, Kirsty McCahon is acknowledged as one of Australia's foremost double bassists. A Churchill fellow and Honorary Fellow of the University of Melbourne, Kirsty is a champion of Australian music and musicians. Former Principal Double Bass of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Kirsty has founded and performed with countless domestic and international ensembles.
Tobias Breider Germany/Australia
Tobias Breider has established himself as one of Australia's most asked for violists in chamber music and regularly collaborates with some of the country's finest artists and ensembles Internationally he was invited to perform at festivals in the UK, South Africa, USA, Austria and his native Germany. Since 2011, he has held the position of Principal Viola in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
David Greco Australia
David has performed at some of the world's most exceptional events including Festival Aix-en Provence, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, The Academy of Ancient Music under Richard Egarr and Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra under Ton Koopman. He regularly appears as a soloist with some of Australia's finest ensembles including the Sydney Symphony, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Pinchgut Opera and Van Diemen's Band. David records for ABC Classics with forte pianist Erin Helyard.
Jacqueline Porter Australia
Jacqueline Porter appears regularly with Australia's major symphony orchestras, opera companies and choral societies, in repertoire ranging from Bach, Handel, Mozart and Haydn to Beethoven, Mahler, Grieg, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov, Fauré, Brahms and Berlioz.
Cheryl Barker AO Australia
Cheryl Barker AO has established a distinguished international opera career performing over 55 major roles for opera houses in the UK, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. She has an extensive concert career appearing in Australia, the UK, Europe and has recorded for Chandos, ABC Classics and Melba Recordings. Cheryl was awarded the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the performing arts, in 2015.
Peter Coleman-Wright AO Australia
Peter Coleman-Wright AO is widely considered one of the most versatile singers in the world today. His career has taken him to many of the world's greatest opera and concert theatres including La Scala Milan, La Fenice Venice, Munich, Vienna, Paris, Bordeaux and the Aix-en-Provence and Bregenz Festivals. Appearances in the UK include the Royal Opera, English National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, BBC Proms, Albert Hall, The Barbican, Manchester and Wigmore Hall.
Nexas Quartet Australia
Formed in 2002 Nexas Quartet are focused on promoting the musical diversity of the saxophone. The quartet has performed at AFCM, Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House City Recital Hall (Sydney) and at World Saxophone Congresses (Scotland, France and Croatia). At the forefront of chamber music, Nexas Quartet are leaders in promoting existing work and creating new repertoire for saxophone quartet. Members: Michael Duke (Soprano Saxophone), Andrew Smith (Alto Saxophon), Nathan Henshaw (Tenor Saxophone), Jay Byrnes (Baritone Saxophone).
Goldner String Quartet Australia
Founded in 1995, the Goldner String Quartet has performed throughout Australia, UK, Europe, USA, the Asia-Pacific and NZ. They have numerous internationally acclaimed CDs released on Tall Poppies, Naxos and ABC Classics including a DVD documentary, 'The Quartets', with Peter Sculthorpe and eleven discs with pianist Piers Lane for the prestige UK label, Hyperion. Major projects have included a retrospective of 20th Century String Quartets and the complete Beethoven Quartet cycle, which was recorded live and won the ABC Limelight Award for 'Best Classical Recording' in 2009. New works have been regularly commissioned for the Goldners from many of Australia's leading composers. In 2019 the Goldners were featured artists at the Venice Biennale.
Russell Torrance Scotland/Australia
Russell is the presenter of Classic Breakfast on ABC Classic. Music has always been part of his life. He was an editor on the New Grove Dictionary of Musicians and worked with Classic FM in London before moving to Australia. He is a keen amateur musician and lives in Sydney with his family.
