Dear Wagner Society members and friends
WSNSW — COMING WSNSW EVENTS
(1) NEXT EVENT: Sunday 7 March, 2.00pm – ‘Wagner at 40′
Concert with soprano Laura Scandizzo and pianist Bradley Gilchrist at Mosman Art Gallery
It is hard to believe that this concert is our first in over a year! This will be a wonderful opportunity for us to gather together again in person, in the Wagner Society’s long tradition of wonderful concerts in good company with good wine, and catching up with like-minded friends. And it is also an opportunity, in these challenging times, to show our support for music, performances and Wagner, and for artists to be able to perform to a live audience. We do hope that you are as excited as we are about this event, and encourage as many people to attend as possible. Particularly as it is part of the Society’s 40th birthday.
The Concert will be held under Covid-19 safe conditions. We will email closer to the event regarding masks, QR codes/registrations, etc.
Admission:
Members – $40
Non-Members – $45
Full-time students – $20
Members of the public are welcome!
Attendance: To expedite queueing in these times of Covid-19 restrictions, those planning to attend are encouraged to pay beforehand. Please let us know if you wish to attend by replying to this email and an e-invoice will be forwarded to you, which will also list alternative payment options.
Venue: Mosman Art Gallery is at 1 Art Gallery Way, Mosman. There is plenty of parking available. Getting to Mosman Art Gallery is also easy by public transport with either a bus to Spit Junction or a ferry to Mosman Wharf. The Gallery is just a 5 minute walk from Spit Junction.
Catering: There will be simple catering, conforming to Covid-19 regulations.
About Laura Scandizzo:
Laura Scandizzo’s operatic roles include Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos for Land of Enchantment Opera in New Mexico, USA and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at the Varna International Opera Academy, Bulgaria. Laura is an alumna of the Pacific Opera Young Artist program and during their 2020 Pocket Opera productions she played Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. During the 2020 Covid-19 shutdowns she worked on online streaming projects and performed the role of Hannah Glawari in Streamed Shakespeare’s Merry Widow workshop and the role of Wally in La Wally for Salon for the Dramatic Arts. She has performed with the Opera Australia chorus in King Roger, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s Carmen, The Nixon Tapes, Verdi Requiem, Aida, Turandot, and she is joining the chorus again for the 2021 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s La Traviata and more yet to be announced for the Winter season.
She is also honoured to be the 2020 recipient of the three year Prue Kennard Career Development Scholarship.
Laura has often performed for the Wagner Society in NSW, most recently at the Memorial Concert for The Hon Jane Mathews AO in February last year.
The Wagner Society in NSW is proud to have sponsored Laura at the Varna International Opera Academy, Bulgaria and The Lisa Gasteen National Opera School.
About Bradley Gilchrist:
Bradley Gilchrist completed a Bachelor of Music at the WA Conservatorium of Music, and post-graduate studies in accompaniment and piano performance in Sydney and Madrid.
Bradley has numerous concerto performances to his name including the Khachaturian Concerto with the WA Symphony Orchestra, the Grieg Concerto with the Slovakia Philharmonic Orchestra and Beethoven’s First and Second Concertos with the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra. Bradley has given solo and chamber music recitals across Australia and in South Korea, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Bradley broadcast two solo programmes for the ABC Young Australia program. Bradley enjoys chamber music and has performed in a variety of ensembles but has specialised in piano trio and flute and piano duo repertoire.
As repetiteur, Bradley’s early interest in ballet repertoire has extended to opera and he has been repetiteur for WA Opera, Opera Australia and many of Sydney’s chamber opera companies as well as being in demand as an accompanist and vocal coach for auditions, recitals, examinations and concert performances. Bradley is the Music Director for Pacific Opera and Musical Director of Music at Manly.
(2) AND THEN:
– Sunday 21 March – by zoom:
4.00pm: Regular presenter Professor Heath Lees talks to us from New Zealand about Wagnerism after Alex Ross
Above left: Professor Heath Lees
Above right: ‘Wagnerism’ by Alex Ross
– Sunday 18 April – at the Goethe Institut (subject to confirmation):
12.30pm – DVD to be advised
2.00pm – Professor Thea Brejzek, School of Architecture, UTS, talks to us about revolutionary Swiss stage designer Adolphe Appia (1862 – 1928) who is best known for his scenic designs for Wagner operas and who later inspired Wieland Wagner.
Above left: Professor Brejzek
Above right: Adolphe Appia
– Sunday 23 May – at a venue to be advised:
AGM
2.00pm: Special event to celebrate 40 years since Wagner lovers met in Bayreuth & agreed to start a Wagner Society in Australia
Wagner’s birthday drinks
With warm regards from the President and Committee of Wagner Society NSW.
