Kirill Gerstein | June 2024

Kirill Gerstein

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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the many lands on which we meet,
work and live, and we pay our respects to 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.
KIRILL GERSTEIN
piano
ADELAIDE
ADELAIDE TOWN HALL
Thursday 20 June, 7.30pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6.45pm,
Prince Alfred Room
BRISBANE
CONCERT HALL, QPAC
Wednesday 19 June, 7pm
Recorded for broadcast by 4MBS Classic FM
• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm,
Concert Hall Balcony Foyer
• Meet the Artist after the concert
CANBERRA
LLEWELLYN HALL,
ANU SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Thursday 13 June, 7pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm,
Larry Sitsky Room
NEWCASTLE
CITY HALL
Friday 14 June, 7.30pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6.45pm,
Mulubinba Room
PERTH
PERTH CONCERT HALL
Sunday 23 June, 6.30pm
• Pre-concert talk: 5.45pm,
Corner Stage Riverside, Terrace Level
• Meet the Artist after the concert
SYDNEY
CITY RECITAL HALL
Monday 17 June, 7pm
Recorded for broadcast by ABC Classic
• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm,
Function Room, Level 1
• CD Signing after the concert
MELBOURNE
ELISABETH MURDOCH HALL,
MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE
Tuesday 11 June, 7pm
• Pre-concert talk: 6.15pm,
Salzer Suite, Level 2
• Meet the Artist after the concert
With special thanks to the Directors’ Circle and Amadeus Society for their support of the 2024 Concert Season.
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From the Artistic Director
My diary tells me that it was 8 August 2019
when I heard Kirill Gerstein play with the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It was in
the Town Hall – the Concert Hall at the
Opera House was only partway through
its miraculous refurbishment – and Kirill
performed Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F.
At lunch afterwards I confessed that I had
never treated the Gershwin as seriously as
he evidently did; Kirill politely disabused
me of my misguided notions.
© Darren Leigh Roberts
Had Kirill been many decades older,
Gershwin’s concerto could have been
written for him. Look at the YouTube videos
of performances of him playing Earl Wild’s
punch-drunk Gershwin transcriptions –
Embraceable You, say – and you see a
musician with feet in the virtuosic-poetic
worlds of both jazz and art music.
At lunch we talked about contemporary
music – he had only recently given
the premiere of Thomas Adès’s Piano
Concerto in Boston and watched orchestras
throughout the world book him and it, so
successful had it been – and his happy time
in Australia. So, even though it has taken
a full five years to instigate another happy
time in Australia, it is a delight to welcome
Kirill here once more in a brilliant, singular
program, including a new work by the great
Liza Lim.
Paul Kildea
Artistic Director
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Program
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810–1849)
Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61 (1846)
14 min
Brad MEHLDAU (b 1970)
Après Fauré No. 3: Nocturne (2024)
3 min
Gabriel FAURÉ (1845–1924)
Nocturne No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119 (1922)
8 min
Francis POULENC (1899–1963)
Three Intermezzi, FP71/118
I No. 1 in C major (1934)
II No. 2 in D-flat major (1934)
III No. 3 in A-flat major (1943)
9 min
Franz LISZT (1811–1886)
Polonaise in E major, S. 223 No. 2 (1850–51)
9 min
INTERVAL
Frédéric CHOPIN
Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49 (1841)
14 min
Liza LIM (b 1966)
Transcendental Étude (2023)
World premiere performances.
Commissioned for Musica Viva Australia with funds from the
Hildegard Project, championing the work of female composers.
Robert SCHUMANN (1810–1856)
Carnival of Vienna, Op. 26 (1839)
8 min
22 min
Please ensure that mobile phones are turned onto flight mode before the performance.
Photography and video recording are not permitted during the performance.
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Masterclasses
Musica Viva Australia creates opportunities
for Australian and internationally acclaimed
artists to share their experience and
expertise with talented early-career artists
and young music students, creating an
enriching learning experience.
As part of this tour, Kirill Gerstein presents
a Masterclass at the Australian National
Academy of Music in Melbourne on
Wednesday 12 June, 10.30am–12.30pm.
Musica Viva Australia’s Masterclass
program is supported by:
Nicholas Callinan AO & Elizabeth Callinan
Caroline & Robert Clemente
Patricia H Reid Endowment Fund
Andrew Sisson AO & Tracey Sisson
Mick and Margaret Toller
Anonymous (1)
Musica Viva Australia Masterclasses in Western
Australia are supported by Wesfarmers Arts.
For further details visit:
musicaviva.com.au/masterclasses
Regional Touring
As part of Musica Viva Australia’s Regional
Touring Program, Kirill Gerstein will perform a
concert for Musica Viva Tasmania on Monday
10 June, 7.30pm at Hobart Town Hall.
For further details visit:
musicaviva.com.au/regional
Cello masterclass with Yeeun Heo of the Esmé Quartet
at University of Western Australia, 2024.
Above: ©Tony McDonough | Below: ©Viv Rosman
About The Hildegard Project
The Hildegard Project is a commissioning fund, and the first dedicated Australian program aimed at
championing the work of women composers. By supporting the Hildegard Project, you’re supporting
women at all stages of their compositional career and playing a crucial role in ensuring that the
future of classical music is a richer, more inclusive art form. For more information about Musica Viva
Australia’s commissioning funds, please get in touch via email: philanthropy@musicaviva.com.au
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© Marco Borggreve
Kirill Gerstein
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Pianist Kirill Gerstein’s heritage combines the
traditions of Russian, American and Central
European music-making with an insatiable
curiosity. These qualities, and the relationships
that he has developed with orchestras,
conductors, instrumentalists, singers and
composers, have led him to explore a huge
spectrum of repertoire both new and old.
From Bach to Adès, Gerstein’s playing is
distinguished by a ferocious technique and
discerning intelligence, matched with an
energetic, imaginative musical presence that
places him at the top of his profession.
Born in the former Soviet Union, Gerstein is an
American citizen based in Berlin. His career is
similarly international, with solo and concerto
engagements taking him from Europe to the
United States, East Asia and Australia. In the
current season, Gerstein has featured as a
Spotlight Artist with the London Symphony
Orchestra, performing four concertos across
the season at the orchestra’s Barbican Centre
home and on tour, including Adès with Antonio
Pappano, Rachmaninoff and Ravel with
Susanna Mälkki, and Gershwin with Simon
Rattle. Gerstein’s flair for curation recently also
found expression as Artist-in-Residence with
the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, in
presenting a three-part concert series entitled
‘Busoni and His World’ at London’s Wigmore
Hall, and as resident artist at the Aix-en-
Provence Festival.
Elsewhere during 2023–24 season, Gerstein
returned to orchestras such as the Leipzig
Gewandhaus with Andris Nelsons, Deutsches
Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Chamber
Orchestra of Europe with Robin Ticciati,
Orchestre national de France with Cristian
Măcelaru, Rotterdam Philharmonic with Lahav
Shani, Boston Symphony and Los Angeles
Philharmonic with Thomas Adès, Munich
Philharmonic with Petr Popelka, Orchestra
del Teatro alla Scala with Daniel Harding,
Orchestre national de Lyon with Nikolaj
Szeps-Znaider, Accademia Nazionale di
Santa Cecila with Leonidas Kavakos and with
Jakub Hrůša, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich with
Raphael Payare, Minnesota Orchestra with
Thomas Søndergård, and the radio orchestras
of Stuttgart, Hamburg and Cologne, among
others. In recital, Gerstein reprised with
Christian Tetzlaff the Suite from The Tempest
for violin and piano, which was written for
them by Thomas Adès, for premieres in New
York, Washington and Boston. Gerstein also
appeared in solo recital at Carnegie Hall New
York, Chamber Music Napa Valley, the Vienna
Konzerthaus and the Abu Dhabi Festival,
among others.

Liza Lim
© Astrid Ackermann
Liza Lim is an Australian-born composer,
educator and researcher whose music
focusses on collaborative and transcultural
practices. Beauty, rage and noise, ecological
connection, and female spiritual lineages
are at the heart of works such as Sex Magic
(2020) for flutist Claire Chase, the orchestral
cycle Annunciation Triptych: Sappho, Mary,
Fatimah (2019–22), and Multispecies Knots of
Ethical Time (2023) for gestural performer,
film and ensemble. Her work Extinction
Events and Dawn Chorus (2018) has found
wide resonance internationally, having
been performed from Helsinki to New
York, Melbourne to Mexico and Berlin to
Aldeburgh. Its next performance will be on
30 June with the Australian National
Academy of Music.
Lim’s most recent project is A Sutured
World (2024), a cello concerto for Nicolas
Altstaedt which was co-commissioned by the
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam Cello
Biennale, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
and Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da
Música for performances in 2024–25.
Lim is Professor of Composition and currently
holds the Sculthorpe Chair of Australian
Music at the Sydney Conservatorium of
Music (2019–2024). She was a Fellow of the
Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin in 2021–22 and
elected to the Akademie der Künste, Berlin
in 2022. She has had an especially close
collaborative relationship with Australia’s
ELISION Ensemble, composing three operas
which they have toured in Europe, Japan and
Australia.
Awards recognising her wide-ranging
career and vitality of compositional practice
include the Australia Council’s Don Banks
Award (2018), the ‘Happy New Ears Prize’ of
the Hans and Gertrud Zender Foundation
(2021) and the 2022 APRA AMCOS National
Luminary Award. She was appointed a
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in
the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours for her
contribution to Australian music. Her music
is published by Ricordi Berlin and appears
on 40 compact discs including ten portrait
albums.
More info: lizalimcomposer.com
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About the music
This wonderfully diverse program explores
the transformation of different genres during
the 19th and 20th centuries, as they are filtered
through the creative imagination of some of
the greatest composers for the piano. The
polonaise, the fantasy, the nocturne and the
intermezzo all pass through the alchemy of the
individual composers, their lives and loves and
the changing times, emerging reborn, remade,
transfigured.
The program then turns to Vienna, home of
the waltz, where carnival, revelry and brilliant
virtuosity combine to provide a magnificent
feast for the senses. Australian composer
Liza Lim offers her own unique vision of the
Transcendental Etude, a genre made famous
by the towering piano virtuoso Franz Liszt.
With the exception of Lim and Mehldau, all the
composers featured in the program were born
in the 1800s, yet their output for piano is richly
varied and highly individual, anticipating new
forms and breaking old boundaries.
one of his greatest works, and the Fantaise-
Impromptu remains eternally popular. The
startlingly original Polonaise-Fantaisie that we
are hearing in this concert draws both genres
together in a tour-de-force of rich musical
expression and pianistic brilliance.
From the opening we are captivated by a
sense of profound simplicity, the spacious
arpeggiated chords revealing themselves
in unhurried grace. The announcement of
the polonaise theme is achieved with an
unexpectedly lyrical subtlety, initially avoiding
the more traditional heroic style associated
with this genre. Chopin’s sophisticated
treatment of the seemingly contradictory
elements of introspective lyricism, freely
expanding dramatic expression and bold
rhythmic figuration in polonaise style attains
a synthesis which creates its own distinctive
musical landscape. There is a sense of
continual transformation throughout the work,
as it takes us on a journey through shifting
harmonies and fluid melodic lines, to moments
of sublime tenderness and great passion.
Dedicated to Madame Veyret, a friend of both
Chopin and George Sand, the Polonaise-
Fantaisie was composed and published in
1846, three years before Chopin’s death.
© TONYA LEMOH
© Elena Olivo
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The exquisitely poetic Polonaise-Fantaisie in
A-flat major, Op. 61 was Frédéric Chopin’s
last extended work for solo piano and quite
unique in his oeuvre, deftly blurring the line
between the characteristically rhythmic
polonaise, and flights of rhapsodic fantasy.
The polonaise is one of the oldest traditional
Polish national dances, and Chopin’s fondness
for its distinctive rhythm and character in his
piano works illustrates his pride in this Polish
heritage. He wrote around 23 polonaises in his
lifetime and his earliest surviving manuscript
is a Polonaise in A-flat. The fantasy genre
also captured Chopin’s imagination, with
its departure from standard rules of form
and harmony, allowing for greater creative
freedom. His Fantasy in F minor is considered
Grammy Award winning jazz pianist Brad
Mehldau has recorded and performed
extensively since the early 1990s. His
compositions include song cycles for Anne
Sofie von Otter and Ian Bostridge, a piano
concerto, and Three Pieces after Bach, inspired
by selections from The Well-Tempered Clavier.
The composer writes:
If the sublime foreshadows our mortality,
Fauré’s late works might communicate the
austerity of death – Fauré’s as it approached
him, but also the apprehension of our own. We
find a kinship with the composer finally, in the

form of a question that he tossed off into the
future, to us. This Nocturne is one of a set of
four pieces, Après Fauré, that I have composed
to accompany Fauré’s music, to share the way I
have engaged with Fauré’s question, with you,
the listener.
BRAD MEHLDAU
of Late Romanticism akin to the tormented
mysticism of Scriabin as well as embracing
aspects of Impressionism. Aaron Copland
called Fauré ‘the Brahms of France’, and
certainly the emotional depth of Nocturne
No. 13 recalls some of the most passionate
utterances of Johannes Brahms – but
contained within the terrible elegance of
a very French expression of despair.
Like Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantaisie, Gabriel
Fauré’s Nocturne No. 13 in B minor, Op. 119
was composed three years before his death.
Born in 1845, Fauré was a composition pupil of
Camille Saint-Saëns. He became one of the
most influential composers of his generation,
mentoring and encouraging the development
of French composition.
Fauré was a great admirer of Chopin, not
least as the composer who took the complexity
and emotional scope of the nocturne genre
to an entirely new level. Fauré’s nocturnes
bear some resemblance to those of Chopin,
being constructed along similar lines, typically
with two outer sections framing a strongly
contrasting middle section. Fauré’s harmonic
language is markedly different, however,
and his use of chromaticism more distinctive.
His writing is also more contrapuntal, with
interweaving middle voices providing a
substantial foil to the main melodic line.
Written in 1921 at a time when Fauré was
experiencing increasing deafness and physical
frailty, the opening series of suspensions in
Nocturne No. 13 seem especially poignant.
Unlike much of his piano music, which leans
towards the understated, this nocturne reveals
a series of intense emotional states. The hymnlike
opening evokes a sombre and eloquent
sense of pathos, which transitions to a restless
middle section, culminating in a desperately
impassioned climax, and finally subsiding in
an elegiac resignation of repeated B minor
chords. This thirteenth nocturne is a curious
hybrid in stylistic terms, containing elements
Francis Poulenc, described by a critic as
‘half monk, half naughty boy’, was a notable
presence in 20th-century French music,
drawing admiration from composers such as
Stravinsky and Satie. His music ranges from
insouciant, capriciously elegant miniatures,
to deeply moving sacred works, such as the
opera Dialogues of the Carmelites.
The 19th-century instrumental intermezzo
appeared in various guises, including
as a shorter interlude connecting larger
movements, or as a character piece.
Schumann was the first to use the title,
for a set of piano pieces in his Op. 4, and
Brahms became the master of the Romantic
intermezzo, writing several sets of pieces
of different character, style and expression
grouped under the title of Intermezzi. In
the hands of Poulenc, however, his Three
Intermezzi, FP71/118 throw us sharply into the
20th century, appearing as character pieces
full of whimsical caprice, with unpredictable
harmonic twists and rhythmic surprises. The
first two intermezzi were composed in 1934, the
third in 1943.
It has been suggested that much of Poulenc’s
piano music serves as a portrait of the
mercurial composer himself. He was described
as the embodiment of Paris by the critic Jay
Harrison, who wrote: ‘He is gay like Paris, sad
like Paris. And he bustles constantly. His hands
wave, his eyebrows arch, he twitches, grins,
makes faces. When his mouth talks, all of him
talks too.’
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The first Intermezzo is a lively, rhythmic work –
punctuated with bursts of energetic chords and
a more lyrical, introspective middle section.
The motoric rhythmic figuration of the opening
has a fresh, modern feel, and it is certainly
not difficult to visualise a busy Parisian
street where life swirls by in a maelstrom of
conversation, colour and atmosphere.
The second Intermezzo is tenderly evocative in
the opening and final sections, with a delicate
melodic outline moving atop syncopated
harmonies. There is a thread of chromaticism
in the melodic writing, which lends a sense
of complex delicacy to the work. The third
Intermezzo bears an indication that it must
be played ‘in a halo of pedal’ and without
any rubato, an instruction which in itself hints
at the composer’s curious mix of ineffable
imagination and stringent, unsentimental
classicism.
Poulenc was rather dismissive of his works for
solo piano, but confessed he was ‘very fond’
of the third Intermezzo (as well as a select
handful of other works). Whether a portrait
of Paris, or of Poulenc as Paris, the Three
Intermezzi are distinctive in their combination
of charm, colourful harmonies and supremely
elegant craftsmanship.
Franz Liszt’s Two Polonaises were composed in
1851, during his period of intense involvement
with the aristocrat Princess Carolyne von Sayn-
Wittgenstein. She was of Polish heritage; her
maiden name was Iwanowska. Liszt was first
introduced to her during his tour of the Ukraine
in February 1847. He was immediately struck
by this ‘most extraordinary woman’ and years
later, in 1860, wrote, ‘I cannot write her name
without an ineffable thrill.’ Their meeting and
subsequent love affair heralded a prolific
period of composition for Liszt, and no doubt
played a part in his choice of this Polish genre.
Another significant Polish influence was Liszt’s
ongoing friendship with Chopin, which was
valued by both composers personally as well
as professionally. The Two Polonaises bear
little resemblance to Chopin’s music, however,
except insofar as the characteristic polonaise
rhythm and form are acknowledged. The first
polonaise in C minor has some exquisitely
expressive moments as well as technical
fireworks, but it has never achieved the
popularity of the second, which is both brilliant
in its virtuosity and heroic in character. The
Polonaise in E major, that we hear in this
concert, is unapologetically Lisztian in its
grand scope, orchestral use of the piano,
glittering virtuosic passagework and dramatic
cadenzas. It achieved significant popularity as
a recital show-piece and has been recorded
by iconic pianists such as Sergei Rachmaninoff,
György Cziffra and Australia’s own Percy
Grainger. Liszt’s bold transformation of the
polonaise into a vehicle which showcased his
own dazzling technique, coupled with a rather
Faustian approach to harmony, allows for a
refreshingly different musical experience.
© TONYA LEMOH
Chopin’s Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49,
composed in 1841 and dedicated to his pupil
Princess Cathérine de Souzzo, was written out
during his first stay at Nohant, George Sand’s
estate. This was not, however, an entirely
happy time for the composer, his intense
relationship with the famous author being
made increasingly difficult by the ill will of
Sand’s children Maurice and Solange. It was
also within a couple of years of their disastrous
Majorca trip, which irreparably affected
Chopin’s health. An anecdote, probably
spurious, ascribes a personal program to
the Fantaisie: the composer is imagined to
be quietly at work when Sand knocks at the
door, is invited to enter and commences a
conversation which becomes increasingly
passionate, ending in a quarrel.
There is, however, little need or justification
for such an imaginary scène de la vie – the
Fantaisie stands on its own merits as a
masterpiece of the composer’s maturity. A
lugubrious opening march in F minor leads
into a magical passage of arpeggios in which
energy is progressively built up, erupting
into an unsettlingly passionate section at
double tempo. This resolves itself into a rather
bumptious march before the return of the

© Harald Hoffmann
more passionate material, tempered this time
with a more lyrical inflection. The heart of the
Fantasie, a Largo sostenuto in B major, offsets
the sometimes furious flanking passages
with a carefully judged moment of stillness.
The resolution comes with the third and final
return of the passionate section, this time
abounding in octaves which give the march the
grandiosity it formerly lacked.
Perhaps surprisingly, given the sonata-like
structure of the work, the Fantasie ends in
A-flat major rather than its opening key. But,
as Charles Rosen has remarked, Romantic
composers like Chopin and Schumann are
fond of using a tonic major key and its relative
minor as a ‘change of mode’ rather than
a change of key. And to what marvellous
effect Chopin plays with the small difference
between the F natural of an F minor chord and
the E-flat of an A-flat major chord!
© STEPHEN SCHAFER
Composer Liza Lim writes:
The piece is called ‘Transcendental Etude’
but there’s no direct quoting of Liszt, though
of course some pianistic gestures recall his
writing. Rather, the ‘transcendental’ refers
more to the poetics that underlie the music.
The most recognisable aspect is a very brief
fragment of Shervin Hajipour’s ballad Baraye
which in 2022 became the unofficial anthem
of the freedom movement and protests led by
women and girls in Iran. In the song, grief and
longing are embedded within a lyric vein. On
top of that dimension in my piece is a ‘tearing
up’ and ‘knotting’ of time with repetitions that
create glitches in the music as well as moments
of trembling or shaking.
Jin, Jiyan, Azadi. Women. Life. Freedom.
(in solidarity)
© LIZA LIM
Robert Schumann wrote the first four
movements of his Faschingschwank aus
Wien (Carnival of Vienna), Op. 26 in Vienna,
and the fifth in Leipzig. The word Schwank
translates variously as ‘farce’ or ‘jest’. The
work was inspired by Schumann’s experience
of a Fasching – a carnival involving parades,
celebration and other public festivities in
the period leading up to Lent. He attended
the Viennese Fasching in early 1839 and
immediately set about composing the
Faschingschwank, the original manuscript
bearing the subtitle Phantasiebilder (Fantasy
Pieces).
The rousing opening movement features
a recurring theme in a bold mood, with an
ebullient rhythm. La Marseillaise makes a
brief appearance in one of the contrasting
sections even though – or perhaps precisely
because – the anthem was banned in Vienna
at the time. Other movements include a tender,
melancholy Romanze, a whimsical Scherzino,
and the ardent Intermezzo in the darkly
Romantic key of E-flat minor. The festive, lively
character of the final movement brings this
lovely set to a close.
Schumann described the work as ‘a Romantic
spectacle’ and it perfectly captures the vivid
imagination, caprice, passion and tenderness
of his youthful creative persona. Sadly, it
was not premiered in public until 1860, four
years after Schumann’s death. The premiere
performance was given by his beloved wife,
the composer and pianist Clara Schumann,
who championed his works with unwavering
dedication throughout her life.
It remains one of the most popular Romantic
works celebrating Vienna.
© TONYA LEMOH
Dr Tonya Lemoh is a pianist, researcher and
recording artist, Head of Classical Piano
at WAAPA, Edith Cowan University.

Interview
A piano recital is a unique experience.
Unlike other forms of instrumental recital,
a piano soloist is always alone; there’s no
accompanist. But Kirill Gerstein finds the
company in the music.
‘On one hand,’ he explains, ‘it is chamber
music-like, because the music usually mirrors
orchestral or chamber music in texture.
We are making chamber music with our
ten fingers and the instrument; it’s the most
concentrated way of making music.’
And when it comes to choosing what to play,
Gerstein explains that the programming
reflects the personality of the pianist. ‘I don’t
find it acceptable to have a recital program
where you just throw together some pieces
that you’re fond of and you learn,’ he says.
‘I find it interesting and required that there
be some logic and some connections to the
constellation of pieces.’
So what are the connections in this program?
A first or even second glance through the
repertoire list won’t reveal obvious links.
But Gerstein has a penchant for curatorship
and, just like in an art gallery or museum
exhibition, he hopes the juxtaposition of
music in his recitals will help the audience to
hear the music differently.
‘The pieces throw a light on each other,’ says
Gerstein. ‘Or shadows. This make us think
about these connections in different ways.’
He also leans on a food analogy: ‘If you
liken it to a meal, you don’t want to serve
three steaks. And you don’t want to serve
cake before you get to a main dish. The
progression also has to say something.’
For his first dish, Gerstein has chosen to
lead with Chopin. ‘The Polonaise-fantaisie
starts more in the fantasy realm,’ he says.
‘It starts in a very improvisatory way. It
feels like Chopin sitting down in the spirit
of improvisation, looking for the thread,
searching for something. I think that’s an
interesting way to start a program.’
Gerstein ends the first half of his recital with
another polonaise – Liszt’s Polonaise in
E major. ‘If Chopin is looking for a Polonaise,’
he says, ‘then Liszt has found it. It’s a very
defined piece. So, in that sense there is a
progression from uncertainty to certainty.’
For Gerstein, a major attraction was the
overlooked nature of both works. ‘One
of the things that I find so interesting and
nostalgic is how pieces go in and out of
fashion. This second polonaise of Liszt was
once a mainstay of pianist’s programs –
Rachmaninoff played and recorded it, so did
Busoni. It was a common piece. And it has
become a rarely heard piece on a program.
But I think it’s very attractive.’
This thread of forgotten or snubbed pieces
is a pattern for Gerstein: ‘There are years,’
he says, ‘where you will say, ‘I want to play
the Moonlight Sonata, and the Liszt B-minor
sonata’ – very famous works and repertoire.
And there are years when one turns and
thinks, ‘What about these other pieces by
major composers?’
Gerstein hopes that shining a light on the
lesser-known might inspire listeners to go
searching: ‘If it sends somebody down the
path of exploration – all of Fauré’s nocturnes,
for instance, or a whole book of Poulenc’s
piano music – that is a good result.’
The inclusion of Fauré in the program is a nod
to the centenary of the composer’s death.
‘The thirteenth is Fauré’s last nocturne,’
says Gerstein, ‘and it’s so adventurous,
harmonically. Next to the Chopin Polonaisefantaisie,
with its searching quality – they
belong well in the same half.’
Including Poulenc’s Trois intermezzi is
Gerstein’s cheeky tip-of-the-hat to Brahms’
more-famous three. But as Gerstein explains,
‘The music is not strange or difficult. It’s just
overlooked.’
Gerstein returns with another ‘searching’
Chopin work after interval. ‘There is
something about presenting two fantaisie
works,’ he explains. ‘The Chopin F-minor
Fantaisie – together with the Polonaisefantaisie
– even amongst the many great
pieces of Chopin, these two are very
special and very advanced compositions.
14

© Marco Borggreve
When people say “higher-level thinking”,
this is “higher-level composing”. He’s not
just presenting some pretty material and
linking it with transitions; it’s intricately and
beautifully composed.’
Chopin’s music regularly alludes to dance –
traditional Polish dances and what Gerstein
describes as ‘apparitions’ of marches in the
F-minor Fantaisie. Dance is also celebrated
in Schumann’s Carnival in Vienna: ‘It’s so full
of imagination and quirkiness,’ says Gerstein.
‘It is Vienna – and so Schumann is very
influenced by all things “in 3”. Some very
overt waltzing, maybe some ländler, some
of it is simply twirling in three. There is this
undercurrent of the city of the waltz. It is also
a bit overlooked in the output of Schumann,
and I always found it undeserving that it’s
overlooked. It’s a wonderful piece; a good
finish.’
No meal is complete without a surprise
dish, and so Gerstein’s program includes
a premiere – a brand-new work by
internationally-acclaimed Australian
composer, Liza Lim. Her Transcendental
Etude was commissioned by Musica Viva
Australia with funds from the Hildegard
Project, and its title recalls Liszt’s own
innovative series of études, which Gerstein
recorded and released in July 2016.
‘With the Liszt cycle, it’s an interesting
question: “What is transcendental?” What is
meant by that? Is it transcendental demands
on the technique? Is it transcendental in a
metaphysical sense? That itself is a question
for interpretation – both with Liszt, and with
Liza alluding to it in her piece.’
Gerstein has long been a champion of
new music. ‘There is a special kind of air of
creation when the piece is being heard for
the first time,’ he says. ‘You really don’t know
what the piece is, what it is like, until it is
heard in its entirety, attended to by a group
of listeners.’ Similarly, Gerstein describes
a special atmosphere that can only be felt
in live performance: ‘A recital is meant to
inspire thoughts, to trigger emotions, and for
people to experience together.’
Gerstein says he has always liked coming
to Australia. ‘But,’ he says, ‘one of the things
that’s touching for me is the fact that we’ve
had to postpone this tour – this being
together – several times, because of COVID
and travel restrictions and so on. So this
possibility to commune together, to gather by
the strength of these incredible pieces… this
is the treasurable thing.’
This communing around music is very human,
explains Gerstein: ‘This need to get together
and to contemplate something, be it a
Polonaise-fantaisie, or a theatre play. And
of course, music is most magical because
there are no words – we are sure it’s saying
something, but nobody knows what it is
saying. But to do it together and to do it live
in person – I really look forward to doing that
with the listeners in Australia.’
ANDREW ARONOWICZ
15

© Priscilla du Preez
HELP BUILD OUR MUSICAL FUTURE
A bequest to Musica Viva Australia is a generous investment in the
future of Australian music – whether through education programs,
world-class concert series or nurturing the artists of tomorrow.
For nearly 80 years, we have established ourselves as the bedrock
of Australia’s cultural firmament with a presence in every state
and territory and have grown to become the world’s busiest
chamber music organisation.
Be confident that your gift to Musica Viva Australia
will resonate with the largest possible audiences
of all ages and locations for years to come.
For information about our bequests program, please visit:
musicaviva.com.au/support-us/planned-giving
or contact Zoë Cobden-Jewitt, Director of Development
zcobden-jewitt@musicaviva.com.au | 0409 340 240

Patrons
CUSTODIANS
ACT Margaret Brennan, Clive & Lynlea Rodger,
Ruth Weaver, Anonymous (3)
NSW Catherine Brown-Watt PSM & Derek Watt,
Jennifer Bott AO, Lloyd & Mary Jo Capps AM, Andrew &
Felicity Corkill, Peter Cudlipp, Liz Gee, Suzanne Gleeson,
David & Christine Hartgill, Annie Hawker, Elaine Lindsay,
Trevor Noffke, Dr David Schwartz, Ruth Spence-Stone,
Mary Vallentine AO, Deirdre Nagle Whitford, Richard
Wilkins, Kim Williams AM, Megan & Bill Williamson,
Ray Wilson OAM, Anonymous (12)
QLD Anonymous (2)
SA Monica Hanusiak-Klavins & Martin Klavins,
Anonymous (4)
TAS
Kim Paterson QC, Anonymous
VIC Elizabeth & Anthony Brookes,
Julian Burnside AO QC, Ms Helen Dick, Robert Gibbs
& Tony Wildman, Helen Vorrath, Anonymous (8)
WA Graham Lovelock, Anonymous (4)
LEGACY DONORS
NSW The late Charles Berg, The late Stephan Center,
The late Janette Hamilton, The late Dr Ralph Hockin in
memory of Mabel Hockin, The late Geraldine Kenway,
The late Kenneth W Tribe AC
QLD
The late Steven Kinston
SA The late Edith Dubsky,
In memory of Helen Godlee, The late Lesley Lynn
VIC In memory of Anita Morawetz, The family of
the late Paul Morawetz, The late Dr G D Watson
WA
Anonymous
EDUCATION
ENSEMBLE PATRONS
To support the work of our 14 teaching ensembles
which deliver childhood music education programs,
Musica Viva Australia would like to acknowledge
our Education Ensemble Patrons.
Music in my Suitcase
Valerie & Michael Wishart
Game Day!
Anonymous
Taking Shape
Ray Wilson OAM
Da Vinci’s Apprentice
Kay Vernon
ENSEMBLE PATRONS
Our artistic vision for 2024 is made possible thanks to
the extraordinary generosity of our Ensemble Patrons,
each of whom supports the presentation of an entire national
tour for our 2024 Season.
Long Lost Loves (and Grey Suede Gloves)
Peter Griffin AM & Terry Swann,
Ms Felicity Rourke & Justice François Kunc,
Susie Dickson (supporting Anna Dowsley)
Esmé Quartet
Bruce & Charmaine Cameron
The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Ensemble Patrons Ian Dickson AM & Reg Holloway
Other Tour Support Kim Williams AM & Catherine Dovey
Commissioning Donor Richard Wilkins
Organ Scholar Patrons Ian & Cass George
The Choristers’ Circle We thank all members for their
support of each chorister
Pekka Kuusisto & Gabriel Kahane
Australian Music Foundation
Ensemble Q & William Barton
Ian & Caroline Frazer
CONCERT CHAMPIONS
The mainstage concerts of our 2024 Season are brought to life
thanks to the generosity of our Concert Champions around the
country.
Adelaide Dr Susan Marsden & Michael Szwarcbord,
the late Lesley Lynn
Brisbane Andrea & Malcolm Hall-Brown, Andrew & Kate Lister,
Dr Susan Marsden & Michael Szwarcbord, Barry & Diana Moore,
The Hon. Anthe Philippides SC, Anonymous (2)
Canberra Andrew Blanckensee & Anonymous,
Dr Ray Edmondson OAM & Sue Edmondson,
Dr Suzanne Packer, Malcolm Gillies AM & Dr David Pear,
Sue Terry & Len Whyte
Melbourne Bibi Aickin & Alexandra Clemens,
Dr Michael Troy, Peter Lovell & Michael Jan, In memory
of Paul Morawetz, Presented by friends in memory of
Dr James Pang, Dr Victor Wayne & Dr Karen Wayne OAM,
The late Dr G D Watson, Igor Zambelli, Anonymous (2)
Perth Jan James in memory of her sister Anne Wilding
& Anonymous, Dr Robert Larbalestier AO,
Deborah Lehmann AO & Michael Alpers AO,
For Stephanie Quinlan (2), Valerie & Michael Wishart
Sydney Patricia Crummer, Pam Cudlipp, The Darin Cooper
Foundation, Dr Jennifer Donald & Mr Stephen Burford,
Charles Graham in acknowledgement of his piano teacher
Sana Chia, Katherine & Reg Grinberg, Alison & Geoff Kerry,
Ray Wilson OAM
17

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Darin Cooper Foundation, Stephen & Michele Johns
AMADEUS SOCIETY
Tony Berg AM & Carol Berg AM, Tom Breen & Rachael
Kohn AO, Dr Di Bresciani OAM, Ms Annabella Fletcher,
Dr Annette Gero, Katherine & Reg Grinberg, Jennifer
Hershon, Fred & Claire Hilmer, Penelope Hughes,
Michael & Frédérique Katz, Dr Hadia Mukhtar,
Philip Robinson, Andrew Rosenberg, Ray Wilson OAM
EMERGING ARTISTS
GIVING CIRCLE
The Emerging Artists Giving Cricle is a group of
generous donors whose collective support will enable
the artistic development of the next generation of
Australian chamber musicians.
Nicholas Callinan AO & Elizabeth Callinan,
Caroline & Robert Clemente, Patricia H. Reid
Endowment Fund, Andrew Sisson AO & Tracey Sisson,
Mick & Margaret Toller, Rosemary & John MacLeod,
David Wallace & Jamelia Gubgub, Anonymous
COMMISSIONS
Musica Viva Australia is proud to support the creation
of new Australian works through The Ken Tribe Fund
for Australian Composition and The Hildegard Project.
We are grateful to the following individuals and
collectives for their generous support of this work:
Alison & Geoff Kerry, D R & K M Magarey,
The Hon. Anthe Philippides SC, Playking Foundation,
Richard Wilkins, Carrillo Gantner AC & Ziyin Gantner
Musica Viva Australia also thanks the Adelaide
Commissioning Circle, the WA Commissioning Circle,
and the Silo Collective for their support in bringing
new Australian works to life.
MAJOR GIFTS
$100,000+
NSW The Berg Family Foundation,
Patricia H. Reid Endowment Fund, Anonymous
QLD
$50,000+
ACT
Ian & Caroline Frazer
Marion & Michael Newman
NSW Ian Dickson AM & Reg Holloway,
J A Donald Family, Katherine & Reg Grinberg,
Elisabeth Hodson & the late Dr Thomas Karplus
$20,000+
NSW Gardos Family, Michael & Frédérique Katz,
Richard Wilkins
QLD
Andrea & Malcolm Hall-Brown
VIC Mercer Family Foundation, The Morawetz Family
in memory of Paul Morawetz, The Morawetz Family in
memory of Anita Morawetz, Marjorie Nicholas OAM
$10,000+
ACT
Craig Reynolds, Mick & Margaret Toller, Anonymous
NSW Gresham Partners, Mrs W G Keighley,
Vicki Olsson, Anthony Strachan, Kim Williams AM
& Catherine Dovey, Ray Wilson OAM in memory of
James Agapitos OAM
QLD
SA
Anonymous
Jennifer & John Henshall
VIC Dr Di Bresciani OAM & Lino Bresciani, Peter Lovell,
In memory of Dr Ian Marks, Joy Selby Smith,
Mark & Anna Yates
WA Legacy Unit Trust, Deborah Lehmann AO
& Michael Alpers AO, Prichard Panizza Family
$5,000+
ACT Goodwin Crace Concertgoers,
Sue Terry & Len Whyte
NSW Christine Bishop, Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn AO,
Sarah & Tony Falzarano, Robert & Lindy Henderson,
Robert & Lindy Henderson, David & Carole Singer,
Diane Sturrock
QLD
Anonymous
SA Aldridge Family Endowment,
Fiona MacLachlan OAM
VIC Julian Burnside AO KC & Kate Durham,
Leanne Menegazzo, Bruce Missen, Greg Shalit
& Miriam Faine, Anonymous (2)
WA David Wallace & Jamelia Gubgub, Deborah
Lehmann AO & Michael Alpers AO
18

ANNUAL GIFTS
$2,500+
ACT Andrew Blanckensee, Kristin van Brunschot
& John Holliday, Dr Andrew Singer, Anonymous
NSW Judith Allen, Maia Ambegaokar & Joshua Bishop,
Susan Burns, Hon J C Campbell KC & Mrs Campbell,
Thomas Dent, Dr Robyn Smiles, Hon. Professor
Ross Steele AM, Dr Elizabeth Watson
QLD
SA
Jocelyn Luck, Barry & Diana Moore
DJ & EM Bleby
VIC Jan Begg, Alastair & Sue Campbell, Dhar Family,
Roger Druce & Jane Bentley, Anne Frankenberg &
Adrian McEniery, Sing Off – Genazzano & surrounding
schools, Lyndsey & Peter Hawkins, Angela &
Richard Kirsner, Michael Nossal & Jo Porter, Ralph &
Ruth Renard, Barry Robbins, Murray Sandland,
Maria Sola, Wendy R Taylor, Helen Vorrath
WA Dr Bennie Ng & Olivier David, Zoe Lenard
& Hamish Milne, Mrs Morrell, Robyn Tamke
$1,000+
ACT The Breen/Dullo Family, Odin Bohr & Anna Smet,
Liz & Alex Furman, Kingsley Herbert, S Packer, Clive
& Lynlea Rodger, Ruth Weaver, Andrew Wells AM,
Anonymous (3)
NSW Judith Allen, David & Rae Allen, Dr Warwick
Anderson, Vicki Brooke, Hugh & Hilary Cairns,
Richard Cobden SC, Trish & John Curotta, Thomas Dent,
Nancy Fox AM & Bruce Arnold, John & Irene Garran,
Charles & Wallis Graham, Kate Girdwood, Annie Hawker,
Lybus Hillman, Dr Ailsa Hocking & Dr Bernard Williams,
Dorothy Hoddinott AO, Mathilde Kearny-Kibble,
Catharine & Robert Kench, Kevin & Deidre McCann,
Professor Craig Moritz, Michael & Janet Neustein,
Laurie Orchard, Geoff Stearn, Graham & Judy Tribe,
Kate Tribe, John & Flora Weickhardt, Andrew Wells AM,
Anonymous (6)
QLD Prof. Paul & Ann Crook, Stephen Emmerson,
Robin Harvey, Lynn & John Kelly, Andrew & Kate Lister,
Keith Moore, Barbara Williams & Jankees van der Have
SA Ivan & Joan Blanchard, Richard Blomfield,
Peter Clifton, Elizabeth Ho OAM in honour of the late
Tom Steel, Dr Leo Mahar, Ruth Marshall & Tim Muecke,
Geoff & Sorayya Martin, Ann & David Matison,
Diane Myers, Leon Pitchon, Jennie Shaw, Anne Sutcliffe,
Robert & Glenys Woolcock, Anonymous (2)
VIC Joanna Baevski, Russ & Jacqui Bate, Jan Begg,
the late Marc Besen AC & the late Eva Besen AO,
Jannie Brown, Alison & John Cameron, Mrs Maggie Cash,
Alex & Elizabeth Chernov, Lord Ebury, Dr Glenys &
Dr Alan French, Naomi & George Golvan KC, John &
Margaret Harrison, Virginia Henry, Doug Hooley,
Helen Imber, The Hon. Dr Barry Jones AC &
Ms Rachel Faggetter, Angela Kayser, Janet McDonald,
Ruth McNair AM & Rhonda Brown in memory of
Patricia Begg & David McNair, June K Marks,
Christopher Menz & Peter Rose, D & F Nassau,
Resonance Fund – Michael Cowen & Sharon Nathani,
Ms Thea Sartori, Ray Turner & Jennifer Seabrook,
Darren Taylor & Kent Stringer, Lyn Williams, Anonymous (2)
WA Dr S Cherian, Michael & Wendy Davis, In memory
of Raymond Dudley, Anne Last & Steve Scudamore,
Hugh & Margaret Lydon, Marian Magee & David Castillo,
Prof. Robyn Owens AM, Paula Rogers & Philip Thick,
Margaret & Roger Seares, Ruth Stratton, Christopher Tyler,
Anonymous (4)
$500+
ACT Margaret Brennan, Christine Bollen,
Christopher Clarke, Lesley Fisk, Jill Fleming, Robert Hefner,
R & V Hillman, Margaret Lovell & Grant Webeck,
Margaret Oates, Helen Rankin, Diana Shogren &
Anne Buttsworth, Dr Paul & Dr Lel Whitbread, Anonymous
NSW Alexandra Bune AM, Christopher Burrell AO &
Margaret Burrell, Neil Burns, Robert Cahill &
Anne Cahill OAM, Lloyd & Mary Jo Capps AM,
Lucia Cascone, Robin & Wendy Cumming, Howard Dick,
Dr Arno Enno & Dr Anna Enno, Bronwyn Evans,
Anthony Gregg, The Harvey Family, David & Sarah Howell,
In memory of Katherine Robertson, Bruce Lane,
Olive Lawson, Dr Colin MacArthur, D R & K M Magarey,
Paul O’Donnell, Professors Robin & Tina Offler, Kim &
Margie Ostinga, Trish Richardson in memory of
Andy Lloyd James, Dr John Rogers, Penny Rogers,
Peter & Heather Roland, Christopher Sullivan & Jim Lennon,
Kathie & Reg Grinberg – In honour of Dalia Stanley’s
birthday, Kay Vernon, Margaret Wright OAM,
Anonymous (5)
QLD Geoffrey Beames, Noela Billington, George Booker
& Denise Bond, Janet Franklin, Prof. Robert G Gilbert,
Timothy Matthies & Chris Bonnily, Anonymous (2)
SA Max & Ionie Brennan, Zoë Cobden-Jewitt &
Peter Jewitt, Elizabeth Hawkins, Dr Iwan Jensen,
The Hon. Christopher Legoe AO QC & Mrs Jenny Legoe,
Helga Linnert & Douglas Ransom, Trish Ryan &
Richard Ryan AO, Tony Seymour, Anonymous (5)
VIC David Bernshaw & Caroline Isakow,
Coll & Roger Buckle, Pam Caldwell, Mary-Jane Gething,
Dr Anthea Hyslop, Eda Ritchie AM, Maureen Turner,
Anonymous (6)
WA David & Minnette Ambrose, Jennifer Butement,
Fred & Angela Chaney, Rachel & Bruce Craven,
Dr Barry Green, Russell Hobbs & Sue Harrington,
Dr Penny Herbert in memory of Dunstan Herbert,
Paula Nathan AO & Yvonne Patterson, John Overton,
Lindsay & Suzanne Silbert, Anonymous (2)
19

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
Musica Viva Australia is assisted by
the Australian Government through
Creative Australia, its principal arts
investment and advisory body.
Musica Viva Australia is
supported by the NSW
Government through
Create NSW.
Musica Viva Australia is a Not-for-profit
Organisation endorsed by the Australian
Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient
and registered with the Australian Charities
and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
CONCERT PARTNERS
Perth Concert Series Sydney Morning Masters Series MVA at The Edge Series Major Project Partner
Project Partner 2O24 Season Partner Legal Chartered Accountants
Piano & Tuning Media Partner Hotel Partner Hotel Partner
Print Partner Wine Partner (act, nsw, qld, vic) Wine Partner (sa) Wine Partner (wa)
EMERGING ARTISTS PARTNERS
Competitions
Principal Partner
Strategic Partner
University Partner
FutureMakers Lead Partner
Key Philanthropic Partner
Key Philanthropic Partner
FutureMakers Residency Partner
20

EDUCATION PARTNERS
Government Partnerships & Support
National Education Supporters
Anthony & Sharon Lee
Foundation
J A Donald Family
Marion & Mike Newman
In Schools Performance, Education & Development Program
• Aldridge Family Endowment • Godfrey Turner Memorial Music Trust
• In memory of Anita Morawetz • Margaret Henderson Music Trust • Marsden Szwarcbord Foundation
• Perpetual Foundation – Alan (AGL) Shaw Endowment • Grieve Family Fund
National Music Residency Program
The
Benjamin
Fund
The Marian &
E.H. Flack Trust
Day Family
Foundation
• Aldridge Family Endowment • Carthew Foundation • Foskett Foundation
• Jennifer & John Henshall • Legacy Unit Trust
21

Stories to inspire
BY CAROLINE DAVIS CAROLINE DAVIS
Feel the music.
How do you feel the music? We often refer
to music as a universal language, as it can
express so eloquently what words sometimes
cannot. It marks important moments in our
lives, and provokes reactions in unexpected
places. We may discover deep connections
with others through our love of similar genres,
instruments, artists, songs – or simply find that
it provides a background to our daily lives.
Whatever the situation, music makes us feel.
Why does music have such an impact
on us?
For Alex Siegers, singer with the Choir of
St James and Musica Viva Australia In Schools
ensembles Da Vinci’s Apprentice and Lost
Histories, music is about sharing experiences
and important moments with others:
So much of the feeling and emotion that
comes from music is about the personal
connection intertwined with it. When you’re
performing you have this deep personal
connection with the other people on stage
to make the music happen. Because of that
experience, when I listen to music, I still can
feel some of that emotion. Music ties in with
so many important moments in our lives, at
someone’s wedding, or music at a funeral, or
a lullaby that a parent sings to a child.
I think that imbues music with emotion
and nostalgia.
Haruka Kunimune, Taiko drummer and
member of our Musica Viva Australia In
Schools ensemble Water Rhythms, feels the
music physically:
Taiko especially makes a huge sound. And
it’s not only the sound, but the vibration
you feel from the ground. And I also feel that
music is an expression of personality. So
through music I can express how I feel and
how my personality is.
For Ying Ho, pianist and performer in our
Regional Touring program and Sydney
Morning Masters series, music is about
communicating feelings:
Music is the primary emotional language
that we have. For me it’s the best form of
self-expression. It expresses every nuance,
every subtlety of feeling that you have,
which words can’t do.
22

How does MVA ensure that everyone
has an opportunity to feel the music?
Mara Kiek from Music in my Suitcase has
dedicated her career to providing exceptional
music education to children, particularly as
a residencies program educator for those
children who would otherwise not have access.
She explains:
Musica Viva Australia is about live
music. I can’t express strongly enough
how important it is to feel music in a live
situation, and to experience it in that way.
Everything Musica Viva Australia does
is enriching our lives with live music. As a
listener, live music is a completely different
experience, and then there’s the act of doing
it. That’s why Musica Viva Australia In
Schools is so important, as it gives children
the opportunity to participate. We can’t
live without music.
Primary school teacher Phil Bailey points out:
Musica Viva Australia provides such a
wide variety of experiences in education
and also in the wider public context. Such
a wide variety of experiences enriches our
day-to-day lives, enriches our grind at the
workplace, allowing us to be able to sit back
and relax and take in the beautiful sounds
and be taken somewhere else refreshed for
the next day.
In the words of supporter Carol Berg:
In today’s world, I think music is more
important than ever. It touches the soul,
and I think we need a lot of soul-touching
things to face the future. Music is wonderful
sustenance for us, and we can’t underplay
it. I think Australia should embrace it as a
fundamental part of every child’s education,
and hopefully that will happen going
forward. And Musica Viva Australia in the
meantime is doing one hell of a job.
Music is a fundamental tool that we must use
to share our experiences, feelings, personality.
As listeners, we use it to empathise,
celebrate, heal, improve our wellbeing and
understand each other when other forms of
communication are not sufficient. This end of
financial year, we ask you to reflect on how
music makes you feel, and consider making a
tax-deductible donation so that more people
can feel the music.
As Mara says:
Why would you not want to give to Musica
Viva Australia? If you can support an
organisation like this, that’s doing so much
for spreading music throughout our society,
from the very smallest children to the very
oldest, and changing their lives, do it!
If you would like to know more about making a gift to MVA’s Feel the Music appeal,
please write to philanthropy@musicaviva.com.au or visit: musicaviva.com.au/support-us.
Thank you! Every gift makes a real difference.
23

Hands up!
…if you know over 90% of Musica Viva Australia audiences are under 15?
—
Every year we present over 1,000 performances
to more than 150,000 students live in schools across Australia.
—
There is drumming, dancing and musical fun for students,
supported by online resources and a parallel program of
Professional Development for teachers.
If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more
about Musica Viva Australia In Schools:
VISIT
SIGN-UP

Tribute
Charles J Berg AM OBE (1917–1988)
In loving memory
No history of Musica Viva Australia could
be written without paying tribute to a man
whose enthusiasm for chamber music was
unbounded, and who worked tenaciously to
see it grow and flourish in Australia – the late
Charles J Berg AM OBE.
Charles Berg was born in Berlin in 1917, son of
an orchestral conductor who was a champion
of the works of Richard Strauss and Alban
Berg. Charles studied violin, piano and
composition, developing a deep love of music
from an early age. A growing tide of antisemitism,
however, became an overwhelming
influence in his teenage years, and he was
forced to leave his studies at the age of 16 to
undertake an accountancy apprenticeship
in Berlin with a heavy industry firm owned
by a Jewish family. It was this that took him
to London in 1937, where he became fluent in
English.
In September 1937, Charles Berg came to
Australia with £200: £50 of his own and £150
borrowed. After a short period in Melbourne
he went to Sydney where he decided to stay,
selling his beloved violin for £30 to help
finance his new life. While working full time
he studied accountancy at night, and he
established his own accountancy practice
in 1945.
On 8 December 1945, Charles attended the
first Musica Viva Australia concert at the
NSW Conservatorium, never dreaming (he
admitted later) that he would be involved with
the organisation for so much of his life. Two
years later he joined the Committee of the
fledgling organisation.
Difficult economic circumstances forced the
organisation into recess from 1951 to 1954, in
which year Charles and a number of his local
colleagues (including Musica Viva Australia’s
former Patron, the late Kenneth Tribe) each
gave £100 as a guarantee against loss to
reinstate chamber music presentations by
visiting overseas artists. Charles acted as
Committee Secretary, keeping a watchful eye
on finances as the organisation began to thrive
again.
Musica Viva Australia branches were quickly
established by enthusiastic volunteers
in Melbourne and Adelaide, and the
organisation’s impressive national network
began to grow. It did so under Charles Berg’s
watchful, often conservative (but never timid)
direction. He was President of the Musica Viva
Society from 1962.
In 1973, Charles stepped down from his
Musica Viva Austalia office to take up another
arts challenge – the Chairmanship of The
Australian Opera (now Opera Australia),
which he took up in 1974. He served with
great personal commitment in that voluntary
capacity for a record 12 years, weathering with
grace the often tumultuous upheavals inherent
in any artistic organisation’s growth to depth
and maturity.
Throughout his years at the Opera, and after
his retirement as Chairman, Charles continued
to exhibit a keen interest in, and concern for,
Musica Viva Australia. His death in 1988 was
a loss not only to Musica Viva Australia, but to
the Australian arts community as a whole.
Charles Berg’s son, Tony Berg AM, was
Chairman of Musica Viva Australia from 1986
to 1999 and is now the organisation’s Patron.
The concert in Sydney on Monday 17 June commemorates
Charles J Berg’s contribution to the development of Musica Viva Australia.
25

In memoriam
Ara Vartoukian (1960–2024)
© ???
Musica Viva Australia is deeply saddened by the recent
passing of Ara Vartoukian OAM. Ara was a renowned
and trusted colleague: an exceptional piano technician
recognised not only for his professional expertise which
saw him in demand all over the world, but for the uniquely
thoughtful and sensitive support he gave to our artists.
With his wife and business partner, Nyree Vartoukian, Ara
was a generous and longstanding supporter of our work,
through Theme & Variations Piano Services. We are grateful
to them, and look forward to having the continued support
of their skilled team in our concert halls.
26

The Choir of
King’s College,
Cambridge
The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
returns to put the glorious sound of the
British choral tradition in dialogue with
one of the oldest cultures on earth.
Hear soaring hymns and mighty anthems
alongside a new work from Australian
composer Damian Barbeler inspired by the
questing writings of Judith Nangala Crispin.
Sunday 21 July
Tuesday 23 July
Thursday 25 July
Sunday 28 July
Monday 29 July
Wednesday 31 July
Thursday 1 August
Saturday 3 August
Monday 5 August
Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Melbourne Recital Centre
Brisbane, QPAC
Sydney, City Recital Hall
Sydney Opera House
Adelaide Town Hall
Adelaide Town Hall
Canberra, Llewellyn Hall
Perth Concert Hall
musicaviva.com.au/kings
1800 688 482 (no booking fees)

Joyful, anxious, excited, melancholy… we present
music to tens of thousands of people, of every age
and walk of life, each year. Each performance
produces an emotion, a feeling. And these feelings
can spark memories to last a lifetime.
From Brisbane to Broken Hill, Geelong to Geraldton,
Riverina to Riverland, we want people everywhere
to feel the music and benefit from its healing
properties. Together, we can build a vibrant cultural
future, where outstanding music performances
profoundly enrich lives in so many ways.
Your support ensures audiences, artists,
children and teachers feel the music
for generations to come.
MAKE A GIFT
musicaviva.com.au/support-us