Musical vision helps to keep festival spirit alive

Music

Two Elder Conservatorium of Music staff are helping to maintain Adelaide's festival spirit with key roles in a new event, the Adelaide Contemporary Music Festival.

The weekend festival, during 4-6 April at the Adelaide Festival Centre, presents new classical music from Australia, Europe and Asia, featuring works from the 1950s through to premieres by emerging and established Australian and international composers.

Gabriella Smart, who teaches piano at the Elder Conservatorium, is the Festival Director and will also be performing.

The University of Adelaide's Elder Professor of Music, Professor Charles Bodman Rae, will chair a free forum on Sunday 6 April at 1pm, featuring an informal discussion between composers whose works are being performed during the festival.

"As a pianist specialising in the performance of new music, it has been my vision for many years to establish a festival of this kind in Adelaide showcasing Australian works alongside international icons," said Ms Smart.

Ms Smart has recently returned from a solo concert tour of Europe and China where she performed premieres of works by Australian and Chinese composers.

The Festival will open with a Gala Concert on Friday 4 April at 7.30pm with the Grainger Quartet, Gabriella Smart, and the Telesto Duo performing works by well-known radio personality and composer Andrew Ford, Ihos Opera artistic director Constantine Koukias and other works from the 1970s.

On Saturday 5 April at 2.30pm, the Festival continues with Tour de Force featuring soprano Greta Bradman performing Tristram Cary's semi-staged work I am Here, where the singer performs inside a frame specially designed by Adelaide artist Bert Flugelman.

Other works include 1960s Elder Conservatorium composer Henk Badings's Capriccio performed by Tiziana Pintus as well as performances by Telesto Duo from Amsterdam (Australian premiere of Gubaidalina's sonata for violin and cello) and Gabriella Smart (Willem Jeths's Piano Trio).

The final concert of the Festival, Asian Songlines, will be held on Sunday 6 April at 2.30pm and includes world premieres by Korean composer In-Sun Cho and Adelaide composer Anne Cawrse performed by Trio d'anche Suave in their Australian debut.

Tickets for the Festival are $35 adults/$25 concession for the Gala Concert and $25/$18 for the Tour de Force and Asian Songlines, or $60/$43 for all three concerts.

The Forum is free. Book through BASS on 131 246 or online at www.bass.net.au

Story by Robyn Mills