Concert Weekend 2018
On a stunning autumnal weekend in May, Arts in the Valley proudly presented two unique concerts - and world premieres. Featuring a Saturday night of great jazz and on Sunday morning the music of one of Australia’s favourite composers.
Outstanding Jazz
To have Sandy Evans OAM (saxophone) and Paul Grabowsky (piano) perform as a duo for the first time was amazing.
Grabowsky founded, and Sandy is a member, of the Australian Art Orchestra. Grabowsky is the artistic director of the Hush CD series for the Melbourne Children’s Hospital. He directed the Adelaide Festival in 2010 and 2012.
Sandy Evans is an internationally renowned composer and saxophonist with a passion for improvisation and new music. She has played with and written for some of the most important groups in Australian jazz since the early 1980s, including Clarion Fracture Zone. Women and Children First, and Ten Part Invention and toured extensively in Australia, Europe, Canada and Asia, and been featured on over 40 albums. She is an inspirational musician.
“…this saxophonist surely ranks as one of the best contemporary jazz composers/musicians anywhere.” Ian Patterson, allaboutjazz.com January 27, 2012
There is no greater jazz royalty in Australia than these two artists.
Valley Spirit
Ross Edwards is one of Australia’s most loved composers, and this special concert will began the celebrations of his 75th birthday featuring the world première of a new piece “Valley Spirit” for cello and piano. The program contained all his works for cello, and included the Piano Trio and the first performance for many years of his vocal Maninya works, for countertenor with piano and with cello. A special ensemble gathered for this event. David Pereira on cello along with Tamara-Anna Cislowska at the piano. They were joined by distinguished Sydney violinist Anna McMichael and Canberra-based counter tenor Tobias Cole.
The program included:
- Prelude and White Cockatoo Spirit Dance (1993) violin solo
- Exile (2010) violin and piano
- Prelude and Laughing Rock (1993-2003) cello solo
- Valley Spirit (2017) cello and piano
- Maninya I (1981) voice and cello
- Maninya V (1986) voice and piano
- Piano Trio (1999)
- Water Spirit Song (2003) for cello and recorded water sounds
- Ecstatic Dance (1978-1990) for violin and cello
To sample a taste of Ross Edward's beautiful music simply click the buttons below.
David Pereria
Tobias Cole
Tamara-Anna Cislowska
Anna McMichael