BY KATH ROSE AND STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Some of the nation’s most talented young musicians will make their way to Townsville at the end of July, ready to participate in the Australian Festival of Chamber Music Winterschool (and hopefully escape the season’s chill). But making an even longer journey are six leading musicians from overseas, who will perform in Australia for the first time as part of the week-long fest.
Without further ado, meet the musos set to heat up the coast of our country.
Sa Chen – China
Over the past decade, Chen has established herself as a charismatic pianists earning critical acclaim at the Chopin, Van Cliburn and Leeds International Piano Competitions early in her career. Performance highlights include those with the San Francisco and WDR Symphonies, the London, Los Angeles, Radio France, Israel and Royal Stockholm Philharmonics, and extensive recital tours worldwide. She’s appeared with celebrated chamber musicians including Gidon Kremer and Natalie Gutman. Chen will perform in five concerts at AFCM.
Trey Lee – China
Praised by the late Lorin Maazel as ‘a marvelous protagonist…a superb cellist’, Trey has collaborated with the BBC Philharmonic, Moscow Soloists, and London Chamber Orchestra. He appeared with Philharmonia Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic, and Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, among others. In 2014, he performed at The IMAGINE Project with Yoko Ono, Hugh Jackman and ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. He is one of the busiest artists at the AFCM, performing in 11 concerts.
Finghin Collins – UK
Finghin was born in Dublin and studied with John O’Conor. He established his international reputation by winning the 1999 Clara Haskil International Piano Competition and has since performed with many major orchestras throughout Europe, the US and Asia. He has performed twice at the BBC Proms and was the first Associate Artist of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. He records for Claves Records. He will perform in eight concerts at AFCM, and said he was most looking forward to making great music with great artists under the baton of Piers Lane. Specifically, he said he was excited about performing Faure’s beautiful first piano quintet with Australia’s famed Goldner Quartet, as well as Dave Brubeck’s jazz suite with Artistic Director Piers Lane AO in the closing concert.
Hervé Joulain – France
During his 18 years as first horn soloist in the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the National de France, Hervé Joulain concurrently lead a career as chamber musician and soloist. He has performed all over the world with many prestigious partners, orchestras, and conductors. His discography includes about 20 recordings. Today, he plays first horn solo in the Symphonica Toscanini in Italy. He will perform in four AFCM concerts.
Indira Koch – Germany
Indira studied at the Menuhin Academy in Switzerland, then at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia Juilliard School in New York. She won several international violin competitions followed by her debut in Carnegie Hall. Concert tours have led her to many countries in Europe, North and South America, India, South Korea and Japan. She is concertmaster of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and ‘Metamorphosen Berlin’ and plays on a violin by J.B. Guadagnini. She will play in six concerts at the AFCM this year.
Wolfgang-Emanuel Schmidt – Germany
Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt is an acclaimed prizewinner at many international competitions including the 1st International Adam Cello Competition, New Zealand. He performs worldwide with prestigious orchestras the Gewandhausorchester, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Staatskapelle Weimar, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. He is Founder and Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra Metamorphosen Berlin alongside violinist (and wife), Indira Koch and in chamber recital has performed together with such renowned artists as Lang Lang, Christoph Eschenbach, Emanuel Ax, and Gil Shaham. He had the honour of working with Mstislav Rostropovitch during his later career. He will play in eight concerts at AFCM.
These musicians are just some of the many featured in the Australian Festival of Chamber Music from July 29 to August 6. For a full program visit www.afcm.com.au.
Images supplied. Featured image credit Andrew Rankin.
