The Sallys take centre stage

TWO of Canberra’s main musical figures are taking centre stage on the coming Bowral Autumn Music Pageant, held within the autumnal surrounds of historic St Jude’s church.

Sally Greenaway, competition composer for 2023, will see her work “Of Moths and Moonlight”, premiered on the Friday night time live performance by Sally Walker, billed as “Australia’s greatest flautist”. Pianist Vivian Choi Milton will accompany her.

Pageant creative director Myee Clohessy says: “Sally [Greenaway] is the warmest, most pleasant composer, whose head is filled with stunning music… She takes inspiration from the great thing about nature, which displays in her music’s delicate but advanced themes.” 

For her half, Greenaway describes her commissioned work as “a fragile and poetic meditation impressed by the shimmering magnificence and fragility of moths”.

Her first piano trio, “Le Parc Monceau” and a choral work, “If I Might (Have Given You a Observe)”, with lyrics by Canberra poet and artist Sarah Rice, can even obtain NSW premieres on the competition.

Two years in the past, Greenaway’s mini-opera, “Da Vinci‘s Apprentice”, shaped the centrepiece of the competition’s common household live performance, however this time Clohessy, recognized for working with musical youngsters, is creating “Musica Floreat”, the place the performers are younger individuals similar to Sienna Hagan, who will play a composition by Greenaway.

The competition can even embody premieres of recent works by Australian composers similar to Andrew Ford and Elena Kats-Chernin.

The Highlands Music Collective, shaped in 2019 to play chamber music amongst buddies and colleagues, will play on the competition finale with solo violinist Cedar-Rose Newman, performing a sonata by Greenaway, a piano trio by Elena Kats-Chernin and Piazzolla’s “4 Seasons”.

Bowral Autumn Music Pageant, March 23-26.