Angus McPherson, flute & Szu Yu Chen, piano - Piano at 10
The brilliant flute and piano duo, Angus McPherson and Szu Yu, will play Bach, Mozart, Reineke and others in what promises to be a superb recital. Please join usand hear yet another highly talented instrumental duo from the Arts Bundanoon 2014 calendar.
Arts Bundanoon is comitted to bringing to Bundanoon fine music at an affordable price.
For more information, phone 0401 946 289
Saturday, 14th June 10:00am
Soldiers' Memorial Hall, Bundanoon.
Entrance $8.00 children under 18 - free
Biographies
Angus McPherson is an Australian flutist based in Sydney and Hobart. Currently studying for a PhD in Music at the University of Tasmania, he completed a Master of Music and Bachelor of Music (Honours) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, studying with Alexa Still. In addition to performing with the Conservatorium's orchestras and large ensembles, he has performed in orchestras for local musical societies as well as with the Turramurra based Orchestra 143. Angus was a co-soloist with Orchestra 143 in May 2011, performing Cimarosa's Concerto for Two Flutes with Meghan FitzGerald, and in December 2013 performed Vivaldi's Flute Concerto in D major, RV428, "The Goldfinch."
Although Angus enjoys many styles of music, he is keenly interested in contemporary music and extended techniques for the flute. In 2011 he spent several months in New York conducting interviews with the contemporary flute expert Robert Dick about his invention; the Glissando Headjoint. Angus has performed in international masterclasses for Robert Dick in Seattle, USA, and Gergely Ittzés in Győr, Hungary. In August 2011 he played flute, alto flute and piccolo in the International Opera Theater's production of the contemporary opera, Decameron, in Citta della Pieve and Citta di Saluzzo, Italy. He has performed in masterclasses in Sydney for numerous flutists including Alison Mitchel, Michael Cox, Emmanuel Pahud and Aldo Baerton. Angus performs regularly around Australia, runs classes on extended techniques, circular breathing and contemporary flute playing, and has adjudicated at the NSW Flute Society's annual eisteddfod. He holds an AMusA and LMusA (with Distinction) from the Australian Music Examinations Board and has contributed articles to Flute Focus, Flute Tutor Australia and the British Flute Society's Journal, Pan.
Angus has been on the committee for the Flute Society of NSW since 2012.
Szu Yu Chen won the 2011 Geoffrey Parsons Award when she was studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music as a postgraduate accompaniment student (with a scholarship) learning from David Miller and Gerard Willems. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Taipei National University and completed Masters in Piano Performance at Peabody Conservatory, John Hopkins University. Szu Yu spent two years in the United States studying solo piano with Alexander Shtarkman and chamber music with Ellen Mack, Marian Hahn and Seth Knop. She was also an important part of Peabody Preconservatory and a Baltimore Music College accompanist.
Szu Yu won several prizes and scholarships in both piano, solo flute solo and chamber music competitions. In 2006, Szu Yu started her career as a solo pianist. She performed in Taiwan, Australia, the United States, France, German and Italy. Between 2007 and 2008 Szu Yu was involved with the Edan Joyful Choir as a pianist which toured the world with the support of the Taiwanese government. She has also won the Chen-Mollie Neale Memorial prize and has played with cellists Georg Pedersen and Janis Laurs as well as flautist Angus McPherson.
Concert Review
Date: Saturday, 14th June, 2013 10:00am
Venue: Soldiers’ Memorial Hall, Bundanoon
The Artists: Angus McPherson (flute) and Szu Yu Chen (Piano).
The Program:
The program comprised a varied selection of original music for flute and one movement from a Mozart piano sonata.
1. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) Sonata for flute in B minor BWV 1030
i Andante
ii Largo e dolce
iii Presto
2. Louis Ganne (1862-1923) Andante and scherzo
3. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 -1791) Piano Sonata B-flat minor K. 333 “Linz”
First movement: Allegro.
4. Ian Clarke (b. 1964) The Great Train Race (solo flute).
5. Carl Reinecke (1824-1910) Sonata for flute “Undine” Op. 167
i Allegro
ii Intermezzo
iii Andante tranquillo
iv Finale. Allegro molto agitato ed appassionatop, quasi Presto.
There was no encore offered.
Reviewer: Neil Mitchell
Reviewer’s comments: The sonata by Bach was written for flute and harpsichord but the modern piano in the hall was more suitable and the precise and beautifully balanced playing of Ms Chen combined with the clean playing of Mr McPherson to produce an exhilarating and memorable performance.
Louis Ganne is one of a generation of French composers who produced numerous well-crafted and tuneful works, including numerous operas, but who are remembered for just a handful of pieces (including the Marche Lorraine). The Andante and Scherzo was typically tuneful and light in feel and was much appreciated by the audience.
The first movement of the Mozart sonata gave Mr McPherson some time to rest whereas Ms Chen offered a clean, flawless and lucid performance of a piece by Mozart at his most charming.
Professor Ian Clarke is an English born flautist and composer. He has extended the range of flute playing techniques and some of these were exhibited in The Great Train Race to the evident delight of the audience. It would make a fine encore item.
Carl Reinecke was a prolific composer (288 published works included numerous concerti) in the German romantic tradition. His long term legacy may well be his influence as an academic rather than as a composer. However, flautists and harpists can be grateful for his compositional legacy and the sonata, “Undine” is his major work for flute, programmatic in nature and undoubtedly taxing for the performers.
The concert was held before a good audience (ca. 92 persons) on a seasonably cold and sometimes wet day in an unheated hall. The audience was nonetheless warm and the performers were lively. There was consistent feedback from a number of audience members, all were delighted by the performance but some were most grateful for the novelty, The Great Train Race.
General Comments:
The artists were well-prepared, more than equal to the demands of the program and they were well-matched. Gratuitous virtuosity was avoided. Mr McPherson demonstrated great mastery of his instrument, offering a faultless and clean execution of the diverse works that were performed. Ms Chen’s accompaniment was secure and polished – she is the sort of associate artist that one would want.
Mr McPherson offered some informative announcements.