There can be no doubting the dedication and enthusiasm of the musicians from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO). Rachel Smith, Principal first violin with the QSO, has directed the Stradbroke Chamber Music Festival since its inauguration in 2007. This year, together with 12 or so of her fellow players plus other musicians, she again gave up her QSO ‘break’ to spend a week working hard on North Stradbroke Island (to say nothing of the many hours of organisation!).
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Sparkling… The 2010 festival was a treat! |
I have to confess to being a committed SCMF ‘groupie’. I look forward to travelling ‘overseas’ for a week or so of R&R and taking in the sea air, the relaxed lifestyle and hospitality of the island and soaking up the beautiful music. The variety was amazing. We had gems such as the sparkling Mendelssohn string quartet Op.44, the impassioned Mozart String Quintet K.174, the uplifting Brahms Clarinet Quintet Op.115 and Schubert’s heavenly, but at times troubled, String Quintet D956. The perky wind quintet ‘Summer Music’ by Samuel Barber provided the pallet-cleansing sorbet between courses in the first concert on the Friday night. Then followed the dark and brooding String Sextet, ‘Transfigured Night’, by Schoenberg.
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Stradbroke Chamber Music Festival Success |
Concert 4 on Sunday morning featured the highly-regarded Freshwater (Piano) Trio from Melbourne. The program was delightful with piano trios by Beethoven and Brahms and a little ‘sorbet’ in between by Australian composer Gordon Kerry. The tangy dessert items were amazing arrangements of piano solos by Chopin and Schumann for the trio by Jazz musician and composer Joe Chindamo.
I can’t wait to see what Festival No. 4 brings. But I know I’ll be there!!