From Light to Darkness

After Borodin’s evocative depiction of a camel train in the Steppes, we are joined by two talented soloists for a tuneful concerto by Antonio Salieri for the unusual combination of flute and oboe. Today, Salieri’s name is mainly associated with his alleged (but fictitious) role in the death of Mozart as portrayed in the film Amadeus. After interval the mood darkens with Tchaikovsky’s final symphony The Pathetique. Despite its famous central “almost waltz” in 5/8 time, the symphony starts and ends on a dark note, with some of Tchaikovsky’s most powerful and expressive writing in between.

Soloists: Rachel Lau, Flute; Brienne Gawler, Oboe

Rachel Lau is a graduate of the QCGU, completing her Bachelor of Music in 2018. Rachel was awarded her Associate Diploma with Distinction at the age of 14 as well as the Leslie Barklamb Flute Award from the AMEB. Thrice a winner of the James Carson Flute Prize, Rachel is currently completing a Professional Performance Program at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) with Virginia Taylor.

^{Photo by Pia Johnson for the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM)}

Brienne Gawler graduated with her Bachelor of Music (Honours) with First Class Honours from The University of Melbourne in 2018 and attained her Licentiate Diploma in Oboe from the AMEB.  She has been broadcast on ABC Classic and has appeared in concert with Inventi Ensemble, and was awarded first prize in the Gilbert Glausiuss Competition at The 11th International Akaroa Music Festival in New Zealand. Brienne’s extensive oboe studies and passion for Australian music has led to her current research interest in creative collaboration in music relating to Australian contemporary oboe repertoire.

Conductor: Willem van der Vis