Music on Thursdays
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Thursday 18th July 2024
12.30 lunchtime
Aliara Duo
Gwenllian Llŷr, harp
Sirius Chau, flute
From the vibrant, melodic lines of the flute to the luscious expansiveness of the harp, join Aliara Duo as they explore the huge variety of timbres and effects in this perfect marriage of instruments.
Allow the mysterious lone call of the flute to beguile and enchant you as Debussy’s infamous Syrinx gives way to the tender beauty of one of his most popular pieces, Clair de Lune.
The two instruments unite for the remainder of the programme, balancing the drama of Ibert, Gareth Farr and Piazzolla with the supreme elegance of Mozart and Saint-Saëns.
Programme
Achille Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Syrinx L129 (1913)
Claude Debussy
from Suite Bergamasque L 75 (1890-1905)
3 Clair de Lune
Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (1890-1962)
Entr’acte for flute and harp (1935)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
from Concerto in C major for Flute and Harp K299 (Apr 1778)
arr Sue Rothstein
II Andantino
Gareth Vincent Farr ONZM (b 29 Feb 1968)
Taheke (2001)
Allegro Huka Falls, Taupo
Andante secret waterfall on Farr family land
Presto Whangarei Falls, Northland
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
from The Carnival of the Animals R125 (1886)
13 The Swan Le cygne
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (1921-1992)
from Histoire du Tango (1985)
3 Nightclub, 1960
Concert duration approx: 45+ minutes
Please donate to help fund these concerts at: cafdonate.cafonline.org/14455
Aliara Duo
Flautist Sirius Chau and harpist Gwenllian Llŷr have won numerous awards at national and international levels for their compelling solo performances.
As Artists with City Music Foundation, Aliara Duo was born out of a mutual passion for collaboration and creative programming; this has inspired them to combine lesser played original works for flute and harp with a range of beloved melodies, demonstrating the versatility of this ever-popular instrument pairing.
As Artists with City Music Foundation, Aliara Duo was born out of a mutual passion for collaboration and creative programming; this has inspired them to combine lesser played original works for flute and harp with a range of beloved melodies, demonstrating the versatility of this ever-popular instrument pairing.
Gwenllian Llŷr
Welsh harpist Gwenllian Llŷr is gaining international recognition for her charismatic and engaging performances. Gwenllian was twice a prize-winner at the USA International Harp Competition in Bloomington where she was highly praised for her musicianship. She has also won many prizes more locally, including the Len Lickorish Memorial Prize for a String Player of Promise at the Royal Over-Seas League AMC 2018, as well as becoming an Artist with City Music Foundation in 2017.
Gwenllian’s career has already taken her across the globe, with performances in prestigious venues such as Cardiff's St David’s Hall, Buckingham Palace, Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, alongside renowned artists such as jazz legend Al Jarreau, pianist Imogen Cooper, and international opera singer Bryn Terfel.
Following the successful release of her debut solo album, Dusk to Dawn, in which her playing was hailed as “magnificent” and “powerful”, Gwenllian has recently released a CD of all-Welsh music with Tŷ Cerdd, featuring never-before recorded works alongside well-known gems.
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, The Juilliard School and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Gwenllian is currently based in London where she is enjoying a busy and varied freelance career.
Her love of the harp extends beyond the stage: Gwenllian’s private teaching studio is thriving, with students winning prizes in national and international competitions and gaining membership to prestigious schools and orchestral courses. In addition, Gwenllian’s published works are gaining popularity, and she looks forward to finding more time to share more of her works in the coming years.
Gwenllian Llŷr
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Sirius Chau
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Sirius Chau
Winner of the Royal Over-Seas League Competition, Hong-Kong-born flautist Sirius Chau is a City Music Foundation Artist. He was awarded a Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist Award, and has previously been selected as an Artist by the Tillett Trust, Talent Unlimited, Manchester Mid-Day Concerts Society and Musicus Society in Hong Kong.
He received the *Tagore Gold Medal from HRH The Prince of Wales, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Scholarship, in 2019 and made his solo debuts at the Wigmore Hall and Bridgewater Hall in the same year.
Recent orchestral experience includes working with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Sirius won the Best Performance Award at Hamamatsu International Festival and first prize at the Eugene Magalif’s International Competition, Eastbourne Soloist Competition, and Westbourne Orchestra Competition.
Sirius studied at the Royal College of Music in London for an Artist Diploma and Master of Music (Distinction) with Katie Bedford, Emer McDonough and Sue Thomas, generously supported by the Drake Calleja Trust and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund. More information: www.siriuschau.com
*The Tagore Medal, also won in her year by local pianist Lynda Chang, is a considerable achievement as it recognises the finest music student of the year at the Royal College of Music.
He received the *Tagore Gold Medal from HRH The Prince of Wales, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Scholarship, in 2019 and made his solo debuts at the Wigmore Hall and Bridgewater Hall in the same year.
Recent orchestral experience includes working with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Sirius won the Best Performance Award at Hamamatsu International Festival and first prize at the Eugene Magalif’s International Competition, Eastbourne Soloist Competition, and Westbourne Orchestra Competition.
Sirius studied at the Royal College of Music in London for an Artist Diploma and Master of Music (Distinction) with Katie Bedford, Emer McDonough and Sue Thomas, generously supported by the Drake Calleja Trust and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund. More information: www.siriuschau.com
*The Tagore Medal, also won in her year by local pianist Lynda Chang, is a considerable achievement as it recognises the finest music student of the year at the Royal College of Music.
Recordings of the works in today's concert
Achille Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Syrinx L129 (1913) [3:00]
We pen today's concert with a flute solo by Debussy. Here is the principal flautist of the Berlin Philharmonic (1969 to 2015) Andreas Blau:
Syrinx L129 (1913) [3:00]
We pen today's concert with a flute solo by Debussy. Here is the principal flautist of the Berlin Philharmonic (1969 to 2015) Andreas Blau:
Claude Debussy
from Suite Bergamasque L 75 (1890-1905)
3 Clair de Lune
Some say flute and harp are the sound of angels. Combine that with Clair de Lune, as the Kalysta Duo do here. They are Lara Deutsch, flute, and Emily Belvedere, harp:
Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (1890-1962)
Entr’acte for flute and harp (1935)
Another beautiful piece of music, the Entr-acte, played here by Natalia Jarząbek , flute, and Adrian Nowak, harp, in the Instytut Kultury Willa Decjusza (Villa Decius Cultural Institute) in Krakow, Poland.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
from Concerto in C major for Flute and Harp K299 (Apr 1778)
arr Sue Rothstein
II Andantino [9:00]
While below we have the original orchestral version of this movement, it will be interesting to hear, at the concert, how Sue Rothstein manages to convey this just using flute and harp.
Meanwhile here the Croatian Chamber Orchester, conducted by Igor Tatarević. The soloists are Tamara Coha Mandić, flute, and Diana Grubišić, Ćiković, harp, performing in the wonderful acoustic of the Concert Hall at the Croatian Music Institute, Zagreb (Hrvatski glazbeni zavod, HGZ - founded in 1827):
Gareth Vincent Farr ONZM (b 29 Feb 1968)
Taheke (2001) [14:45]
Allegro Huka Falls, Taupo
Andante secret waterfall on Farr family land
Presto Whangarei Falls, Northland
As you see, this is a suite of three movements inspired by waterfalls on New Zealand's North Island. The performers are the Zephyr Strand Flute and Harp Duo: Rachel Woolf, flute, and Sonja Westberg, harp.
This a recording from Sonja Westberg's Masters recital at the University of North Texas, in 2019. There is a more recent recording on YouTube, with less consistent sound quality.
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Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
from The Carnival of the Animals R125 (1886)
13 The Swan Le cygne [2:35]
Although this recording is on flute and piano, it is fairly easy to imagine the piano part transferring to the harp. So we offer you Amy Porter, flute, with Kathryn Goodson, piano, from the Stamps Auditorium, University of Michigan.
Amy Porter plays a custom made 14K White Gold Flute by the Wm S Haynes Co.
Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (1921-1992)
from Histoire du Tango (1985)
3 Nightclub, 1960
When these concerts began, some 12 years ago, Piazzolla often appeared in our programmes. He has been out of favour for a few years so it is lovely to hear him making a come-back.
Here are Sirius Chau, with harpist Rosanna Rolton, playing Nightclub 1960, followed by the final movement of Histoire du Tango, which is called Concert d'aujourd'hui
Footnote: although RAM graduate Rosanna Rolton has not yet performed for Music on Thursdays, her RAM cellist brother Alex was a guest in our first two years. He is now a member of the Philharmonia Orchestra. Rosanna plays with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and is Guest Principal Harpist of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Aarhus Symfoniorkester in Denmark. What a musical family !
Previous concert
11July 2024 - Gus McQuade, classical guitar - click here
Next concert
25 July 2024 - Kenny Fu, piano, plays Haydn, Schumann, Rachmaninoff - click here
