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Kettering Concerts
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Kettering Concert 2020-08-23
Piano Trio
Sue Collins (Violin), Andrew Seymour (Clarinet), Karen Smithies (Piano)
Piano Trio
Programme:
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Suite for Clarinet, violin and Piano, Op. 157b – Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
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Trio in G minor for clarinet, violin and Piano – Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)
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Sunday 23 August 2020, 3pm
Kettering Community Hall
Sold out
Stay for the post-concert afternoon tea, meet and chat with the musicians.
Sue Collins
Sue Collins
"Plays these extraordinary scores with a remarkable sureness of touch, following even the most unexpected shifts in phrasing and expressive direction with micro-fine precision."
Julian Haylock, The Strad, May 2009.
At age 14, Susan performed Sarasate’s Zigeunerweissen with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Patrick Thomas at the Sydney Opera House. Since that time, she has performed as soloist and recitalist throughout Australia, the USA and Europe.
Critically acclaimed commercial CD releases include the complete violin works of Raymond Hanson (Tall Poppies) with pianist, David Miller, the complete Schumann Piano Trios (ABC Classics) with Kingfisher Trio, and Fritz Hart Music for Violin and Piano with Stephanie McCallum (Toccata Classics).
From 1992 until 2001, Susan held the position of Deputy Concertmaster of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and in 2003 was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for her contribution to Opera and Ballet.
From 2014 to 2021 she was Head of Strings and Orchestra at University of Tasmania Conservatorium following a 6-year tenure at University of Newcastle. Now based in Queensland, she teaches at Qld Conservatorium, Griffith University.
In recent years, Susan has enjoyed performing as a featured artist in music festivals including Dark Mofo, Synesthesia, Ten Days on the Island and Bangalow festivals. In 2022, Susan conducted the Queensland Youth Orchestra and performed as soloist for the organisation’s fundraising event, was a featured artist at the Newcastle Music Festival, joined the panel of international judges for the Lipizer Violin Competition in Italy, and conducted the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra’s final Metro Concert.
Since 2018, Susan is Musical Director of the Riverina Summer School for Strings. In 2021, she founded the Nova Muse Festival in Penguin as Artistic Director, which is a highlight of her year.
Andrew Seymour
Principal Clarinet with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) since 2012,
Andrew Seymour studied with Robert Schubert at the Victorian College of the
Arts (VCA) where he completed a Bachelor of Music Performance in 2001. He is a
former member of the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) and first performed with
the TSO as part of the TSO-AYO Orchestral Development Program in 2005. He was
active as a freelance musician in Melbourne, having performed with the Royal
Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, Australian Classical Players and Lyric Opera
of Melbourne, as well as The Phantom of the Opera and Dr Zhivago. Between 2009
and 2011 he toured nationally as a member of the orchestra for OzOpera, Opera
Australia’s touring company. Andrew was singled out by The West Australian
review of OzOpera’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata, saying “his every note
was meaningful.” In 2010 he performed Schubert’s The Shepherd on the Rock with
Sara Macliver and Amir Farid at the Melbourne Recital Centre. In 2014 Andrew
was featured in recital on ABC Classic FM’s Sunday Live program, his
performance praised by Limelight Magazine as being “soaring and colourful” and
by the Hobart Mercury as “an astonishing display of instrumental virtuosity.”
Recently, Andrew has performed as guest principal Clarinet with the Australian
Chamber Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, West Australian and
Canberra Symphony Orchestras. He has also performed as guest principal Eflat
Clarinet with the Queensland and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras. In 2016 Andrew
made his solo debut with the TSO performing the Copland Clarinet Concerto under
the baton of Chief Conductor Marko Letonja. His performance was described by
The Hobart Mercury as “sensitive and beautifully shaded” and “gloriously
vibrant.”
Since 2017 Andrew has been a profile staff member at the University of
Tasmania, Conservatorium of Music, where he is Lecturer in Clarinet and
Coordinator of Woodwind.
Karen Smithies
Karen Smithies moved to Tasmania from the Central Coast of NSW in 1998. She completed her Masters in Music Performance at the University of Tasmania in 2003, studying with Beryl Sedivka and David Bollard. Upon graduating from Sydney Conservatorium with a Bachelor of music in piano performance and accompaniment, Karen was awarded the “Mollie Neal” scholarship for excellence in Accompaniment. She has appeared as soloist and accompanist with regional orchestras and major vocal ensembles across the Central Coast and in Sydney.
Karen has made several national ABC and 3MBS FM broadcasts with artists such as cellist Christian Woijtowicz, violinists Marina Phillips and Romana Zieglerova, baritones Christopher Richardson and Michael Lampard and the TSO Brass and Friends.
Karen is currently lecturer in Accompaniment at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and has lectured in piano studies at the University of Tasmania since 2000. In that time she has been busy as a repetiteur, and accompanist of undergraduates, postgraduates and visiting artists at the Conservatorium and throughout Tasmania. Karen regularly plays as orchestral and rehearsal pianist for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and repetiteurs for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Chorus.
Karen lives in on Hobart’s Eastern shore with her husband Matthew and four children.
Phil Hirst – Artist
The interplay between water and landscape, in the shadowy boundary between
day and night is ever changing and often beautiful. The immensity of the
Universe displayed in the night sky inspires awe. Phillip Hirst
attempts to convey that awe with his photography