Episoder
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Phillip Scott has joyfully been puncturing the inflated egos of this country’s elite for four decades. He does it all – a writer, composer, actor, singer, and musician – skills which come together for satirical comedy shows beginning in the early 1980s with The Gillies Report, morphing into their current guise as The Wharf Review for the past 25 years. All good things must come to an end, and he and his fellow satirists are presenting their final iteration of the show – The End of the Wharf as We Know It.
Phillip also has a connection with 2MBS Fine Music Sydney. As the first Director of Programming back in 1975, Phillip shares some of the stories of the chaotic early days of the station, as it approaches its 50th anniversary. We also find out how his professional life has been shaped and get a peek into how his acclaimed shows come together. There are some guest appearances from a couple of his well known characters, too!
The End of the Wharf as We Know It runs at The Seymour Centre until 23 December, and tours regionally during 2025.
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A musician described as “the most interesting voice on the guitar for a generation”, Edinburgh-born Sean Shibe is as at home on the electric guitar as he is on the classical acoustic one. Winner of awards including the 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award and the 2022 Leonard Bernstein Award, he was nominated in 2023 for a Grammy, and continues to prove himself as an original mind at the frontier of contemporary classical music.
In this conversation, Sean demystifies the electric guitar while eloquently introducing us to a deliciously diverse selection of music. He has an inspiring approach to both the acoustic and electric guitar which embraces tradition while pushing boundaries.
Sean Shibe performs with the Australian Chamber Orchestra under artistic director Richard Tognetti for Scotland Unbound around Australia until November 18, with performances at the City Recital Hall on November 9, 12 and 13, and at the Sydney Opera House on November 10.
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Manglende episoder?
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A keyboard soloist and conductor, Francesco Corti is one of Europe’s most in demand musicians. He is a member of Les Musiciens du Louvre, Bach Collegium Japan and Le Concert des Nations, among several others. He’s led Tafelmusik, the English Concert, and the Freiburg Baroqueorcheter, is the musical director at the Drottningholm Royal Court Theatre, and appears on over 30 albums.
Francesco takes us through his passion for early music, and performing on instruments authentic to the period. He details his love of this era and shares some of his deep understanding of the fortepiano and its relevance as an instrument today. We also delve into the technique and process of his reconstruction of a JS Bach concerto.
Francesco Corti performs with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra until 2 November.
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He is a counter-tenor loved by audiences around the world. Andreas Scholl has a beautiful pure clarity of voice, gives absolutely divine performances including on his dozens of albums, and he has a wonderful gentle good humour too.
Andreas talks about the discovery of his beautiful counter tenor voice as an adolescent, which inspired him to make music his career. We hear about how his musical development was nurtured and what he has learnt on this journey. We also get to hear his baritone singing voice, which is heard more often than you might think, including on electro-pop songs!
Andreas Scholl performs with the Australian World Orchestra in Sydney on 23 and 24 October, and in Melbourne on 26 October.
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Violist and music curator Katie Yap has performed with some of Australia’s finest ensembles, including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Van Diemen’s Band, and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. She’s also played overseas, including with the Academy of Ancient Music. She’s a founding member of a prog-baroque quartet Croissants & Whisky, plus the Chrysalis Harp Trio, and crossover folk/baroque group the Wattleseed Ensemble.
Katie shares her passion for improvisation and merging the worlds of baroque, folk, and contemporary music. Since her professional start in Orchestra Victoria, she has embarked on a diverse and successful career forming music ensembles and curating festivals, including the Music She Wrote festival for 3MBS in Melbourne, celebrating female composers. In 2022 she was the recipient of the Freedman Fellowship.
This conversation was recorded at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in late July.
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One of the UK’s most sought-after baritones, Roderick Williams has a vast repertoire which spans from the baroque to world premieres. He was called the greatest living baritone by Britain’s Daily Telegraph, and The New York Times labelled him a natural and expressive communicator in song. He has performed at Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw and the Musikverein, and composed for and performed in the coronation of King Charles III.
Roddy is infectiously cheerful, and his musical selections highlight key points of his career. He shares stories with joy and humility, from his idyllic childhood and the discovery of his massive potential to performing at some significant events of the 21st Century.
This conversation was recorded at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in late July.
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A pianist who The New Yorker described as “New York’s queen of avant-garde piano”, Lisa Moore has performed with the London Sinfonietta, Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney, Canberra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras to name just a few, and has played under the baton of luminaries like Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, David Robertson and Edo de Waart. She’s appeared in venues from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House, and been part of over 30 albums.
Lisa has made her career performing music of living composers. In this conversation she speaks with great passion about this music, sharing great insights about it plus her career journey as a modern pianist.
Since recording this interview, Lisa is happy to announce the release in early 2025 of the new album from Crux Duo, a collaboration between herself and clarinettist Lloyd Van’t Hoff. Called My Place, it’s a compilation of modern Australian and American works written and arranged especially for them, including by Elena Kats-Chernin, Erik Griswold, Nick Russoniello, Harriet Steinke, and Martin Bresnick, and will be released on the ABC Classics label. Lisa and Lloyd will perform a concert launching the album at the Goethe Institute, as part of the Goethe Lounge Series, at 6pm on Wednesday 22 January 2025.
Find Lisa's albums on the usual streaming services, and follow Lisa via her website lisamoore.org as well as on Instagram @lisapianomoore and on Facebook @lisamoorepiano
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Opera singer Katherine Wiles has been a permanent member of the Opera Australia chorus since 2007, and has performed several principal roles there as well as in South Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. She’s performed at the Edinburgh Festival and on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Katherine's new book, No Autographs Please, tells the tale of the backstage antics, onstage disasters and the long road to success of an opera singer. Opera Australia CEO Fiona Allan says that her account of life as a chorus member is "full of wit and behind the scenes revelations", while Todd McKenney says that the book proves that "the real stars of any show are the chorus".
Katherine tells us about her inspiration for writing this book, and gives us a no holds barred take on what it's like taking your bow from the second row.
No Autographs Please is out now from all good book retailers.
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A composer who Australian Stage has dubbed “the most interesting voice in Australian composition for many years”, Harry Sdraulig has risen to prominence through a string of collaborations with renowned artists and organisations. He’s composed for The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Musica Viva, the Australia Ensemble, as well as the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Tasmanian, and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, and has also been commissioned by cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Harry shares some great insights and perspectives on the life a composer, and he introduces some of the compositions which have featured at key points of his career.
Harry Sdraulig's new work, Triptych, is performed by the Omega Ensemble as part of their Concertante tour, 1-5 October in Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle.
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“The complete package!” is how Tim Draxl has been described for his performance as Joe Gillis in Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s musical Sunset Boulevard, currently playing at the Sydney Opera House. That part is just the latest in a long line of Tim’s roles in his 20-plus year career which has garnered him nominations for AACTAs, Logies, and a Helpmann Award. On stage he has appeared in musicals such as Jagged Little Pill, Into the Woods and Catch Me If You Can. He is a familiar face on TV, most particularly for his long running role in A Place to Call Home, and more recently the ABC series about the Australian response to the AIDS crisis, In Our Blood. His films include Swimming Upstream and Blacklight among many others. He’s also no stranger to cabaret, and has released four albums.
Tim takes us through his career from budding cabaret performer, through his time in Hollywood and to his most recent roles. He candidly shares the story of coming out publicly, his embrace of which has led him to be a part of several ground-breaking productions and being an inspiration for many LGTBQIA+ Australians, young and old.
Tim Draxl plays Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard in the Joan Sutherland Theatre of the Sydney Opera House until 1 November.
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Australia’s very own “genius of jazz”, James Morrison has entertained audiences here and overseas for over 40 years. He’s played with many jazz legends, including Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles and Don Burrows, to name just a few. He frequents the world’s greatest jazz clubs in New York, Paris and London, has performed for US Presidents and British Monarchs, and has received countless awards and nominations.
James takes us through his somewhat unorthodox entrée into music, the inspiration from playing with so many jazz legends as a younger musician and his passion for helping emerging artists now. We also hear about his love of being behind the wheel of everything from coaches to aircraft.
James Morrison performs with Romanian jazz sensation Marian Petrescu at venues around Australia during September, including at the City Recital Hall on Monday 16 September thanks to Live at Yours.
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"Totally embraceable" and "larger than life" is how critics have described Rhonda Burchmore. An actor and singer who has entertained Australians for four decades, she has forged a career across stage and screen. Her musical theatre credits are vast, from Mame and Annie Get Your Gun to Mamma Mia and Hairspray. She’s no stranger to cabaret, has released seven albums, and has also written her autobiography.
Rhonda shares some highlights from her long career, taking us back to her earliest days when the passion for performing was clearly in her blood. She reminisces about the excitement and opportunities of live to air performances on popular TV variety shows such as The Don Lane Show and The Bert Newton Show, the trials of her stint on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, and we hear some of the music which has shaped her life.
Rhonda Burchmore is currently dressing up eight times a week as a nun, for the riotous feel-good musical Sister Act playing now at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre until late October before heading to Melbourne and the other major state capitals.
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An Australian pianist who has taken the world by storm, Andrea Lam has performed with orchestras across Australia, the US, Japan and China, and in venues from the Sydney Opera House to New York’s Carnegie Hall. Words used to describe her playing include “sensitive”, “riveting” and “mesmerising”, and the Wall Street Journal has pronounced her “a real talent”.
Andrea takes us through her upcoming album, Sad Piano, music by Matthew Hindson, who Andrea has been friends with most of her life. We hear about her journey with the piano, her career living and performing in New York, plus the relevance of both star jumps and spaghetti bolognese!
Visit andrealam.com for all the details of Andrea's upcoming performances.
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A violinist known for phenomenal technique, persuasive interpretations, and ravishing tones, Augustin Hadelich has performed across the world. He's appeared with orchestras from the Berlin and London Philharmonics to Tokyo’s NHK Symphony and our own Sydney Symphony Orchestra. His recordings cover a wide range of the violin repertoire, and in 2016 he won a Grammy for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. He has a new album out this month – American Road Trip – and in this program Augustin takes us on that journey through some of the greats of American violin music. He shares with us stories of his life playing the violin, without a Rubik's cube in sight!
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International icon Sarah Brightman began her stage career at the age of just 13, and never looked back. She’s best known for creating the role of Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera both in the West End and on Broadway, the cast album of which is the highest selling cast album in history. She went on to a stellar recording career, having released dozens of albums. She’s now in Australia, ready for her close up, performing the role of Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.
Sarah revisits the early days of her career development. We hear about her breakthrough in Cats, the success of The Phantom of the Opera, plus her subsequent recording career which includes iconic performances with Andrea Bocelli and José Carreras. Sarah also tells about training to be an astronaut!
Sarah Brightman stars as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard from 28 August to 1 November at the Sydney Opera House.
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French cellist Christian-Pierre La Marca has been hailed by Gramophone as “a master of his instrument” and by Le Monde as belonging to “the French Cello Elite”. He has appeared at major concert venues around the world, whether it’s Paris, New York, London or Vienna. He performs across musical genres, and his recordings receive unanimous critical acclaim.
In this conversation, Christian-Pierre delves into two of his albums of recent years, Cello360 and his environmentally themed project Wonderful World, both of which have appeared in concert, plus a preview of his new album, Legacy. He also talks about the challenges and opportunities for artists of the modern era of social media and streaming services.
This edition of In Conversation was recorded at the 2024 Australian Festival of Chamber Music, in Townsville. The next festival runs from 25 July to 4 August 2025.
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James O'Donnell is one of the leading organists and choral conductors of his generation. He was Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral, and subsequently Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey for over 20 years, during which time he was responsible for the music at several significant events – most notably the wedding of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Katherine, and the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Since 2023 he has been Professor of Organ and Sacred Music at Yale.
In this conversation, James shares some of the history of the remarkable institutions he has served, and we delve into some of the recordings he has made with the Choirs of Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey. We also hear about some of the broader responsibilities which came with his service at Westminster Abbey.
James O'Donnell performs the opening recital for the new Bicentennial pipe organ at St James King Street on Friday 26 July.
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A two-time Grammy nominee, Rod Gilfry is a singer and actor who performs across opera, musicals, recitals and cabaret, all over the world. His opera repertoire in particular is vast, spanning 75 roles. He’s come to Opera Australia and the Sydney Opera House to perform one of the many roles in new operas that he has created – Claudius in Brett Dean’s Hamlet, directed by Neil Armfield. Rod has already performed this role at the Met in New York and at Glyndebourne in the UK.
Rod takes us through his long career which began in school choirs and musicals in California, and speaks passionately about some of the roles he has played. In particular, he takes us through the joys and challenges of creating some of these new roles, including his acclaimed performance in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Rod Gilfry play Claudius in Brett Dean's Hamlet from 20 July to 9 August in the Joan Sutherland Theatre of the Sydney Opera House.
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The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, undoubtedly ranks as one of the world’s best-known choral groups. Founded in the 15th Century, the choir’s main function is to sing in the daily services in King’s College Chapel, but it has long since spread its wings far broader than that, generating worldwide fame through a wealth of recordings and an extensive international tour schedule.
Daniel Hyde has been Musical Director since 2019. His distinguished career as an organist and choral conductor includes roles at Jesus College, Cambridge, at Magdalen College, Oxford, and most recently at Saint Thomas Church in New York. Daniel talks about the long history and significance of the choir, and how he came to be inspired by this timeless musical tradition.
The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, tours Australia thanks to Musica Viva, from 21 July to 5 August.
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One of the world’s leading young harpsichordists, Justin Taylor has released numerous award-winning solo recordings, and is one of the founders of the internationally renowned period ensemble, Le Consort. The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s artistic director Paul Dyer calls him "a true master of the harpsichord". He comes to the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra stage to be part of a rare performance of JS Bach’s Concerto for Four Harpsichords.
Justin speaks about the intricacies and subtleties of playing the harpsichord and other period keyboards. He elaborates on how the sound production of original keyboard instruments of different eras informs the performance of the music, giving us a greater understanding of what the composer intended.
Justin Taylor performs with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra in Sydney and Melbourne from 5-14 July.
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