Kettering Concerts

Kettering Concert 2021-08-22

Piano and violin duo
Sue Collins (violin), Karen Smithies (piano)

Spring

Programme:

Violin Sonata No 22 in A major, K305 – Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756-1791)
Four Short Pieces for Violin and Piano, H104 – Frank Bridge (1879-1941)
Three Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op 4 – Edward William Elgar (1857-1934)
Violin Sonata No 5 in F major, Op24 – Spring Sonata – Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Sunday 22 August 2021, 3pm
Kettering Community Hall
SOLD OUT - No door sales

Stay for the post-concert afternoon tea, meet and chat with the musicians.

Sue Collins

Sue Collins has appeared numerous times in the ABC's Sunday Live series. She has recorded many times for radio, and has performed as soloist and recitalist throughout Australia, the USA and Europe. She has recorded Raymond Hanson Violin Music (Tall Poppies) with David Miller, having completed reconstructive editions of the Hanson works, published by Reed Music. "...Susan plays these extraordinary scores with a remarkable sureness of touch, following even the most unexpected shifts in phrasing and expressive direction with micro-fine precision. Her warm, rich sound works wonders in bringing this music alive, enhanced by a generous, medium-paced vibrato and sensitivity to dynamic shading"... Julian Haylock, The Strad, May 2009.

At age 14, Susan performed Sarasate’s Zigeunerweissen with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Patrick Thomas at the Sydney Opera House. Since that time, she has performed as concert soloist and recitalist throughout Australia, the USA and Europe. Susan has recorded many times for ABC FM, and many other radio stations in live performance broadcasts as well as studio recorded recitals and has appeared numerous times in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Sunday Live series, performing as recitalist as well as in duo and trio combinations with Kingfisher Trio. Her CD with Duncan Gifford and Sue-Ellen Paulsen of Schumann’s complete Piano trios was released to critical acclaim by ABC Classics. More recently, Susan’s CD recording with pianist Stephanie McCallum of the violin and Piano works for Fritz Hart ‘We have waited a long time for recordings such as this and the wait has been worth it’ (Jonathan Woolf, Musicweb International 2019) Having been appointed Deputy Concertmaster of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra at the age of twenty-three, Susan has since been engaged as Concertmaster with many orchestras around Australia, performing under the baton of Bonynge, Macerras, Cillario, Hickox, Fiore, Young, de Waart and many other distinguished conductors. In 2003 Susan was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for her work with Opera and Ballet, and in 2009 was awarded an Australian College of Educators award. Susan has held Head of Strings positions at the University of Tasmania and University of Newcastle conservatoria from 2006 until 2020. She is currently Music Director of the Riverina Summer School for Strings and Sounds of Summer festival, Adjunct Senior Lecturer at UTas, and teaches violin at Queensland Conservatorium. In recent years Susan has been featured in ‘Synesthesia’ and ‘Dark Mofo’ festivals presented by MONA and has recently been featured in Tasmania’s ‘Ten Days on the Island’ festival. In addition to solo engagements, Susan Co-directs the Battery Point Twilight Series, and has enjoyed the opportunity to perform with Southern Cross Soloists, Sydney Soloists and Ensemble Q.

Karen Smithies

Karen Smithies moved to Tasmania from the Central Coast of NSW in 1998. She completed her Masters in Music Performance at the University of Tasmania in 2003, studying with Beryl Sedivka and David Bollard. Upon graduating from Sydney Conservatorium with a Bachelor of music in piano performance and accompaniment, Karen was awarded the “Mollie Neal” scholarship for excellence in Accompaniment. She has appeared as soloist and accompanist with regional orchestras and major vocal ensembles across the Central Coast and in Sydney.

Karen has made several national ABC and 3MBS FM broadcasts with artists such as cellist Christian Woijtowicz, violinists Marina Phillips and Romana Zieglerova, baritones Christopher Richardson and Michael Lampard and the TSO Brass and Friends.

Karen is currently lecturer in Accompaniment at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and has lectured in piano studies at the University of Tasmania since 2000. In that time she has been busy as a repetiteur, and accompanist of undergraduates, postgraduates and visiting artists at the Conservatorium and throughout Tasmania. Karen regularly plays as orchestral and rehearsal pianist for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and repetiteurs for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Karen lives in on Hobart’s Eastern shore with her husband Matthew and four children.

Botaniko Artist Group – Artist

Formed in 2014, Botaniko, (Esperanto for botanical), is a small group of dedicated botanical artists, who, by invitation, collaborate towards yearly exhibitions depicting plants found in gardens and other venues of historical significance in Tasmania. Past projects include the gardens of the Port Arthur Historic Site, the 200th anniversary of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, The Tasmanian Herbarium, The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG), The Windsong property, and in 2022, the trees of historical significance found in the garden of Tasmania's Government House. Titled Floral Splendour - Government House Garden, some of works are displayed at today's concert. The whole exhibition will be travelling in the Northern part of Tasmania after today's viewing.