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Harpist Alice Giles, flautist Jonathan Henderson and violist James Wannan join forces to present a programme centred around French music and contemporary living composers.

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The sonority of the flute, drawn from the human breath, the sombre timbre of the viola’s bow across its strings, and the resonant vibrations of the harp combine to create a unique sound world that is both fragile and richly expressive.​ French influence lies at the heart of the programme, whether directly through Debussy’s visionary Sonata and his evocative Syrinx, Fauré’s luminous Impromptu, or more distantly through the impressionistic language underlying Bax's deeply expressive Elegiac Trio. Alongside these works are two contemporary voices: the French composer Bruno Mantovani and Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin.​ As the concert unfolds, each musician breaks away as a soloist, giving audiences the opportunity to revel in the individual artistry of the performers. Just as the composer moulds silence between phrases to become as expressive as melody itself, the performers draw out the essence of the music, painting sounds upon a canvas with their instruments – each note tracing the air like incense.

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Arnold Bax

Elegiac Trio for flute, viola and harp

 

Gabriel Fauré

Impromptu for solo harp

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Claude Debussy

Syrinx for solo flute

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Elena Kats-Chernin

Winter from Seasons for flute, viola and harp

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Bruno Mantovani

Little Italy for solo viola

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Claude Debussy

Sonata for flute, viola and harp

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Harp, Alice Giles AM

Flute, Jonathan Henderson

Viola, James Wannan

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