BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Tours to the United States and Europe. Winners of prestigious awards and fellowships. Studies at the Royal Academy of Music. Performances at the BBC Proms in Melbourne.
These all sound like pretty impressive achievements – the types of accomplishments you’d read in a biography about an established artist who has spent decades building up their career.
But not for these artists. These singers and instrumentalists have achieved it all before they’ve reached 35 years old.
These are just a handful of the young performers not to miss at the Canberra International Music Festival. Watch them perform and be there at the beginning of it all: these artists are going places.
First up, meet the Pietra Quartet.
Just two years ago, four Sydney Conservatorium of Music students – Anna Da Silva Chen and Benjamin Tjoa (violin), Justin Julian (viola), and Miles Mullin-Chivers (cello) – formed their own quartet.
They started performing pretty frequently, so the following year they took the leap to travel overseas and participate in the Estivo Summer Chamber Music Festival in Italy. They also took out the inaugural Sydney Conservatorium Association Chamber Music Competition first prize, and received the Westheimer String Quartet Fellowship.
That was all in 2017. This year, Pietra received an Ernest V. Llewellyn Memorial Fund scholarship – and, of course, you’ll get to see them perform at CIMF in Requiem on May 1, A Musical Constitutional at the Arboretum on May 2, and Taste of the Country on May 3.
Hungry for more? The Orava Quartet ain’t bad.
This one was founded in 2007 and based in Brisbane. Daniel Kowalik and David Dalseno (violin), Karol Kowalik (cello), and Thomas Chawner (viola) make up Orava and they’re a Quartet-in-Residence with Queensland chamber orchestra Camerata.
They’ve performed at BBC Proms in Melbourne, as well as the Musica Viva, Melbourne, Brisbane Baroque, Bangalow, and Port Fairy Springs music festivals. Wow.
This year, the group released its debut album on Deutsche Grammophon after being discovered by the head of Universal classics and jazz.
See them in action at CIMF in Classic Souvenir on April 29, Requiem on May 1, Concert 14, May 3, and in conversation with Pietra at Talk of the Town on May 1.
What about the singers? Enter Kate Howden.
This Australian mezzo-soprano studied at the National Opera Studio, London, and the Royal Academy of Music. She’s performed with the Scottish Opera, the Machynlleth Festival, Shadwell Opera, Musique Cordiale Festival in France, and more.
Kate has been supported by Opera North, the Ian Potter Cultural Trust, the Australian Music Foundation/Riddiford Trust, Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Tait Memorail Trust, Lews Azuriales Opera Trust, and Opus 50 Charitable Trust.
Can I take a breath now?!
Okay. Catch her at CIFM. Opening Gala on April 27, From the Letter to the Law (Concert 8) on April 30, Barbara Blackman’s Festival Blessing on May 6, and Ulysses Now on May 2.
Kompactus Youth Choir is bringing it all together.
Kompactus was established exactly 10 years ago with a mission of developing the talent of young artists.
Since their first gig in 2009 at St. Paul’s, Manuka, the group has made waves across Canberra and collaborated with the Canberra Choral Society, The Oriana Chorale, and with artists including Sally Whitwell, Brett Weymark, Roland Peelman, The Song Company, and more.
They’ve worked with loads of conductors – Tobias Cole, Mary Tatchell, Judy Clingan – and their artistic director is Olivia Swift.
See Kompactus at Israel in Egypt (Concert 9) on April 30.
Speaking of conductors…
Leonard Weiss is rocking it. You might’ve heard that he’s been named a finalist in the 2018 Young Achiever of the Year Awards (Coffee Club Arts and Fashion) for his region – good luck, Leonard! He is also the 2016 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for Youth Arts and Multimedia, an ACT Finalist for the 2016 Young Australian of the Year, and took part this year in the TSO Composers Program (after receiving a Canberra Critics’ Circle Award for Music).
He studied a Bachelor of Music at the Australian National University, a Master of Teaching (Secondary) at the University of New England, and has conducted and performed across Europe, the United States, and – of course – Canberra. Did you see him conduct the National Capital Orchestra and Canberra Youth Orchestra recently?
If you haven’t, you need to get on it – see him at CIMF. He’ll direct Festival Sinfonia in Peter and the Wolf on May 6.
And leading the winds you’ll find Magdalenna Krstevska.
Magdalenna is a clarinettist who graduated from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music with First Class Honours, and also studied at the Australian National Academy of Music.
She has won the Australian National Young Virtuoso of the Year, and 3MBS Young Performer of the Year Awards – not to mention being selected as an ANAM Concerto Competition finalist last year.
She’s performed with the Australian Youth Orchestra as principal clarinet; Tasmanian, Melbourne, and symphony orchestras; Musica Viva International Chamber Music Competition; and Australian World Orchestra.
Catch her at CIMF in Ulysses Now on May 2, and A Soldier’s Return (Concert 17) on May 4.
Luminescence Chamber Singers?
The small ensemble of just eight performers kicked off in 2013 and a wide range of music across the past millennium – including works by new Australian composers.
Last year the performed at CIMF (did you catch them?) and the Performing the Jewish Archives Festival.
They’ve worked with Sally Whitwell, Amelia Farrugia, Tamara-Anna Cislowska, among others, and will this year perform with the Consort of Melbourne and Roland Peelman (also an artist at the festival). They’ll sing in Israel in Egypt (Concert 9) on April 30, Requiem on May 1, and Ulysses Now on May 2.
If you’ve seen Luminescence, you probably know Chloe Lankshear.
Chloe has performed with Luminescence since 2013 and has herself directed choirs and music workshops. Still a student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Chloe has performed with The Song Company, St James’ Church Choir, and participated in the 2017 Yyvonne Kenny Masterclass.
Chloe specialises in early and baroque music in her Bachelor of Performance. See her sing in Israel in Egypt (Concert 9) on April 30, and Ulysses Now on May 2.
Play that trumpet, Fletcher Cox.
Fletcher finished up his Bachelor degree at the University of Western Australia and moved to Melbourne in 2016. He’s now in his final year of study at the Australian National Academy of Music, and has learnt with Tristram Williams and Dave Elton.
Fletcher has performed with the Sydney, Tasmanian, Melbourne, and West Australian Symphony Orchestras (as guest principal in Tassie and WA, no less). His concert dates are TBA so check in on the CIMF website to keep up to date!
Bonus artist! Meet Wynton Johnstone!
Wynton Johnstone is just 12 years old. He sings in the Luminescence Children’s Choir, Ainslie All Saints Choristers, and has twice attended the Gondwana Summer Choral School.
He’s getting ready for his AMEB grade 6 violin exam with his teacher Barbara Jane Gilby. You’ll see him sing the role of Amore in CIMF!
Check out the full program on the Canberra International Music Festival website. Who are you most looking forward to seeing perform?
We partnered with CIMF to bring you these festival highlights – let’s celebrate young artists together!
Images supplied.
