Tonya Lemoh Program Guide | Sydney Morning Masters 24 May 2023

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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
Page 1 and 2: Tonya Lemoh Wednesday 24 May, 11am
Page 3: Musica Viva Australia acknowledges
Page 7 and 8: Hear the Future Competition Produce

Tonya Lemoh Program Guide | Sydney Morning Masters 24 May 2023

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?