Tonya Lemoh Program Guide | Sydney Morning Masters 24 May 2023

Tonya Lemoh
Wednesday 24 May, 11am
The Concourse, Chatswood
Concert Hall
SYDNEY
MORNING MASTERS

SYDNEY
MORNING MASTERS
Chroma String Quartet
Wed 27 Sep, 11am
Claire Edwardes percussion
Wed 25 Oct, 11am
—
The Concourse, Chatswood
musicaviva.com.au/sydney-morning-masters | 1800 688 482
Garrick Ohlsson
Mon 5 June & Sat 17 June
Melbourne International
Chamber Music Competition
3–9 July (Melbourne Recital Centre)
Chopin’s Piano
Sat 15 July & Mon 17 July
Silk, Metal, Wood
Mon 14 Aug & Sat 19 Aug
Vision String Quartet
Sat 7 Oct & Mon 9 Oct
Wildschut & Brauss
Sat 18 Nov & Mon 20 Nov
—
City Recital Hall, Sydney
musicaviva.com.au | 1800 688 482

Musica Viva Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the
Eora Nation and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present –
people who have sung their songs, danced their dances and told their stories
on these lands for thousands of generations, and who continue to do so.
P R O G R A M
Joseph HAYDN (1732–1809)
Andante with variations in F minor, HOB XVII:6 (1793)
16 min
Samuel COLERIDGE-TAYLOR (1875–1912)
Selections from Valse Suite ‘Three-Fours’, Op. 71 (1909)
10 min
Franz LISZT (1811–1886)
‘La Vallée d’Obermann’ from
Années de pèlerinage: Suisse (1855)
13 min
Alberto GINASTERA (1916–1983)
Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2 (1937)
8 min
—
Tonya Lemoh piano
Supported by the Wenkart Foundation in memory of Fred & Julie Wenkart.
03

TONYA LEMOH
Australian/Sierra-Leonean pianist
Tonya Lemoh has made a career of
championing forgotten composers.
Labelled a ‘pianist archaeologist’
by a leading critic, her concert
appearances and recordings have
consistently garnered critical acclaim.
Her breakthrough on the international
stage came with the release of her solo
recording of piano works by Austrian
composer Joseph Marx for Chandos
records.
A passionate advocate of Australian
music, her doctoral research resulted in a
world premiere recording of the complete
piano works of Raymond Hanson. The
album was awarded five stars and Editor’s
Choice in Limelight Magazine. Tonya
was the recipient of a Creative Fellowship
Award from the National Library of
Australia in 2022, where she pursued
research into the musical legacy of Henry
Handel Richardson. She has presented
research findings on Australian music
history at the National Musicological
Society, Sydney Conservatorium’s
Musicology Colloquium and in lecture
recitals in Australia and Scandinavia.
A prize winner in international piano
competitions, she has performed in solo
and chamber recitals, international
festivals and concerto performances in
Australia, Africa, America and Europe.
She has released numerous solo CDs for
international labels Chandos, Naxos,
Dacapo, Danacord and, most recently, a
disc of music by Henry Handel Richardson
for Toccata Classics. Tonya has written
articles for Limelight Magazine and been
a guest on Australian and Danish radio/
television as performer and interviewee,
including a recent appearance on
Andrew Ford’s The Music Show for ABC
Radio National.
She was a lecturer on the piano faculty of
Copenhagen University in Denmark for
ten years, where some career highlights
include winning the prestigious Danish
Radio P2 prize for best solo recording
of the year and performing concertos
with Danish orchestras. Tonya has given
international masterclasses in Europe
and acted as jury member in piano
competitions in Denmark and Australia.
Current performance research is centred
around composers of African descent
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Florence
Price, as well as original compositions
based on Sierra-Leonean melodies, which
will be featured in a solo recording for
ABC Classics this year.
Musica Viva Australia:
Making Australia
a more musical place
At Musica Viva Australia, we’re proud to
be one of the world’s leading presenters of
chamber music. Passionate about creating a
vibrant musical future for Australia’s artists and
audiences, we feel fortunate to nurture both
established and emerging talent from around
the country. We’re also committed to learning
04

ABOUT THE MUSIC
This program is inspired by the poet T.S.
Eliot’s line, ‘So the darkness shall be the
light, and the stillness the dancing’, drawn
from his poem ‘East Coker’ (Four Quartets
1943).
The poem explores ideas of death,
transformation, and rebirth. This recital
presents piano works which reveal
composers at their most tragic and
profound, juxtaposed with works of
colourful vivacity in an affirmation of the
dance of life.
Haydn’s Andante with variations in
F minor is a heartfelt work written shortly
after the death of Haydn’s close friend,
Marianne von Genzinger. Unusually, it is a
set of double variations, and the poignant
minor theme of the opening contrasts
strikingly with the whimsically nostalgic
character of the major theme. After a
reflective opening and gradual unfolding
the piece culminates in a dramatic climax
and whirlwind of arpeggios. During the
coda the darker registers of the piano
voice the initial theme before an ethereal
pair of repeated octaves in the upper
registers offer a last glimmer of light.
The son of a Sierra-Leonean doctor and
British mother, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
was one of the most eloquent composers
to emerge from 19th-century Britain. His
career was cut tragically short by his
early death, but he achieved enduring
international renown with his work
Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast. The Three-
Fours Suite reflects his gift for melodic
invention and harmonic richness. The
dances encompass an emotional range
from the lively and capricious to deeplyfelt
lyricism and high drama. Each is
marked by an irresistible charm and
subtlety of rhythm evoking the elegance
and joie-de-vivre of a bygone era.
Described by Liszt historian Derek Watson
as ‘a dark nocturnal confession of the
soul’, Liszt’s ‘La Vallée d’Obermann’
(1855) is a tour-de-force of Romantic
pianism. Inspired by Senancour’s great
Romantic novel Obermann, it maps
Obermann’s psychological and emotional
journey, taking the listener from the depths
of despair to the heights of exultation.
The opening theme is melancholy but
undergoes numerous transformations
as the piece progresses, by turns stormy,
calm and, ultimately, triumphant. The
piece ends with an ambiguous nod to the
opening theme, indicating that the hero’s
journey is far from over.
Alberto Ginastera was one of the leading
Latin-American composers of the 20th
century, and a student of Aaron Copland.
His music is colourful and rhythmically
inventive. The Danzas Argentinas (1937)
are from his early nationalist phase,
incorporating Argentinian folk idioms
and culture. This set of three dances
remains one of Ginastera’s most popular
works. The first is a humorous description
of an old cowherd, portrayed through
a percussive, bitonal dance, with each
hand playing in a different key. The
second dance, depicting a young maiden,
is hauntingly evocative, featuring a
plaintively beautiful melody. The third
conjures up Argentina’s wild cowboys in
a riotous ride, full of fiercely exuberant
rhythms and pianistic fireworks.
© TONYA LEMOH 2023
from our First Nations friends and colleagues
how to most effectively include in our work the
many peoples and languages that, together,
comprise the oldest living culture in the world.
Musica Viva Australia is committed to the future
of classical music, and to being at the forefront
of its evolution.
Our dedication to the commissioning and
programming of new Australian works is key to
our vision, and through eclectic and thoughtful
programming, we endeavour to lead the
industry in presenting concerts that challenge
and thrill all audiences.
05

Garrick Ohlsson
Garrick Ohlsson commands the piano like few others, playing it with authority, humility,
a sense of discovery and deep commitment. His program will traverse favorites from Debussy,
Chopin and Liszt, as well as a new commission from Australian composer Thomas Misson.
NATIONAL TOUR: 1–19 JUNE
musicaviva.com.au/garrick-ohlsson
1800 688 482

Hear the Future
Competition Producer Principal Partner
Strategic Partner Grand Prize Partner
musicaviva.com.au/micmc
Chopin’s Piano
AURA GO & JENNIFER VULETIC
8–26 July
Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
musicaviva.com.au/chopins-piano | 1800 688 482 (no booking fees)

la música habla
:”(
nagsasalita ang musika
η μουσική μιλάει
âm nhac nói .
:-D
...
;-)) :o
ਸੰਗੀਤ ਬੋਲਦਾ ਹੈ
LA MUSICA PARLA
mizik la ka palé
音 乐 说 话
:-)
waiata korero
The language of music is universal;
it transcends borders and unites us as people.
At Musica Viva Australia we believe that music
makes the world a better place.
It’s our ongoing mission to create unforgettable experiences for audiences
across the country: from a child in a classroom seeing live music for the first time,
through to the seasoned concertgoer discovering new work.
Help us to continue our work so that everyone, regardless
of age, location or circumstance, can access and
share the very best live music.
For more information:
Caroline Davis | cdavis@musicaviva.com.au | 0421 375 358