Media Release: September 2018
Selby & Friends’ Four Seasons concerts intrigue with music by Piazzolla and de Falla
Alexandre Da Costa-Graveline – Violin| Umberto Clerici – Cello | Kathryn Selby – Piano
▪ Manuel de Falla Canciones Populares (arr. Kochanski from Suite Populaire Espagnole)
▪ Claude Debussy Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor
▪ Astor Piazzolla The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
▪ Felix Mendelssohn Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 49
The final concert program of the 2018 Selby & Friends season is a cornucopia of chamber music from several corners of the globe. Artistic Director Kathryn Selby’s guest artists mirror this international flair, with renowned Spanish/Canadian violinist Alexandre Da Costa-Graveline, and Italian cellist and Sydney Symphony Co- Principal Umberto Clerici joining Selby, Australia’s pre-eminent chamber music pianist, for six concerts in major and regional centres.
Alexandre Da Costa-Graveline, winner of multiple accolades including the International Violin Competition Pablo Sarasate, has given close to two thousand concerts and recitals throughout North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He is Associate Professor and Head of Strings at Edith Cowan University (Western Australia). This is his first appearance with Selby & Friends.
SSO Co-Principal Cellist Umberto Clerici is also well-known as a chamber musician and regularly performs with Selby & Friends. His prominent career has seen him perform in great halls of the world, including the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Vienna Musikverein and at the Salzburg Festival.
This stunning program’s intriguing melodies and rhythms are highlighted by The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires by Astor Piazzolla, a masterful outpouring of the Argentinian composer’s New Tango style. Composed with a nod to the structural framework of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Piazzolla’s original music for piano, bandoneon, violin, electric guitar, and bass has been arranged for various ensembles since its 1970 premiere. Spaniard Manuel de Falla’s Canciones Populares (Popular Songs) draw on traditional tunes from Northern Spain, Murcia, and Andalusia. This program is rounded out by Debussy’s unequivocal affirmation of French culture and the virtuosic yet delightfully melodious D minor Op. 49 Piano Trio by Mendelssohn.
“I’m delighted to be welcoming debut artist Alexander to the S&F series for this special concert of intriguing and highly personal music. It will be a thrill to work with Umberto again and having them both in the same program will bring a great deal of excitement to the stage!”
A hallmark of the Selby & Friends series, the artists will speak from the stage about the background of the music, and their own personal experiences and encounters in performing these works.
Tickets for these concerts and subscription packages for Selby & Friend’s 2019 concert season are on sale now via the Selby & Friends website or by calling 1300 511 099.
Four Seasons tours the following dates and venues:
Saturday, October 13 – 5:00pm, Bowral Memorial Hall, Southern Highlands
Sunday, October 14 – 2:15pm, Turramurra Uniting Church, Turramurra
Monday, October 15 – 7:30pm, Fairfax Theatre, NGA, Canberra
Tuesday, October 16 – 7:00pm, City Recital Hall, Sydney
Wednesday, October 17 – 7:30pm, Tatoulis Auditorium, Methodist Ladies’ College, Kew, Melbourne
Sunday, October 21 – 2:30pm, Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, Adelaide