Same not same

Wesley Music Centre is admirable in its support of young, upcoming musicians. Not sure how they afford it, but they maintain a string of Wesley Music Scholars and have done so for yonks, with graduates even working internationally. They also support local students appearing amongst the Wednesday lunchtime concerts that I record. This one was the return of Elena Nikulina's studio with four students, some of whom we have heard before. This was Oscar Wu playing de Falla and Bartok, Hannah Ni playing a Chopin Polonaise, May Li playing Glinka arr. Balakirev and Simon Wu playing Chaminade and Bartok. They all played capably and the concert was wonderfully satisfying. My unexpected new awareness for the afternoon was how a piano, in this case a fairly new Yamaha grand, was so different under different hands. To some degree it would be a function of the music, but May's tone was so delicate and endearing under her considered touch while Simon's was heavy and meaty. Preferences and styles come to mind, but the different presences of the same piano was obvious and unexpected. Just a lovely concert all round with a touch of learnings (to borrow an ugly neologism).

Students of Elena Nikulina, Oscar Wu, Hannah Ni, May Li and Simon Wu (piano) played at Wesley.

Elena's studio returns

The kids have done it again.  Some stunning performances on real works from memory.  Just three kids this days, the oldest in Year 10 and sporting an AMusA, no less.  All from the studio of Elena Nikulina.  The Russians must have it as the Chinese do too.  Victor Ni played Bach, Haydn and Chopin.  Hannah Ni played Chopin and Debussy.  The eldest, Eric Wong, played Beethoven and Mendelssohn.  There were were minor lapses which they picked up well but more impressive was the busy fingerwork, the effective balance between parts and hands, the preparation as each sat a little before performance.  I remain in awe.

Victor Ni,  Hannah Ni, Eric Wong, all form the studio of Elena Nikulina, performed at Wesley.

Floored again

Again, a concert of students that was unexpectedly impressive.  I should have learnt by now.  True, there was some youth on show, not least from a Year 6 student, but get into the upper school years, and it was a stunning awareness-raising experience.  Hannah Ni was the Year 6 student.  Not quite so developed, sharp, mature as the teenagers, but hugely impressive playing Kuhlau and Grieg.  I think of my weak take on AMEB 5th grade.  Sad.  I long to hear Hannah in a few years.  Then Year 11, Kenan Zhang, playing Mehul and Sibelius.  Dramatic, revolutionary, majestic.  I loved this playing.  Totally committed; authentically interpretive.  Then to Year 12.  Now this is getting serious, Jennifer Liu, playing Bach and Haydn and Chopin.  More common names.  A huge pleasure, capable, informed, mature, even seasoned if you can say that of a teenager.  I think of motley performances and shrink.  But they have a good teacher, obviously.  They come from the studio of Elena Nikulina, award winning AMEB teacher and accompanist and a graduate of the Donetsk S Prokofyev State Conservatory in the Ukraine.  They know their artistic stuff in those areas.  And what else?  They all played from memory.  Yes, all performers and, yes, all pieces.  And I heard a few lost bars but they were recovered with aplomb and they had been prepared for it.  All part of this immensely impressive teaching and its students.  A thing of joy and awe.

Hannah Ni, Kenan Zhang and Jennifer Li (piano) performed at Wesley.  Hannah, Kenan and Jennifer are all students from the studio of Elena Nikulina (piano teacher).

When commitment shows

It wasn't a program I particularly recognised and not even a format I particularly know, although I have heard four-handed piano before.  But rarely and I don't remember it being like this.  The playing here was intense, unbending, busy, complex, deeply felt by players rocking backwards and forwards ont heir stool.  They were both products of the Russian/Ukrainian systems, one a Masters from Donetsk State Conservatorium; the other Honours from the Moscow State Institute of Music.  Now both in Canberra, teaching, accompanying and the like.  I remember a story told by Elena Katz-Chernin, also a product of that education, that indicated the demands placed on students compared to Australia's.  It was an eye-opener (Look for the story somewhere here on CJ under EKC).  Suffice to say, these were impressive and they played wonderfully together.  They had even had classes in four-handed piano in their studies.  They played Rosenblatt (including one well-known Russian theme) and Gluck and Piazzola Libertango, (obviously one I knew well) and Rachmaninov Vocalise and a nicely structured modern Christmas medley (is it that time already, in this strangest year 2020) by Jonathan Scott.  All was obviously arranged for four-hands, so the lines and sounds were different.  I couldn't easily separate the players/hands by ear, although seeing a video afterwards with hands showing made it obvious.  But whatever, this was a virtuosic effort with absolute commitment.  Few words, short breaks, some smiles form Natalia and quiet determination from treble-ended Elena.  Just wonderful.

Elena Nikulina and Natalia Tkachenko played four-handed piano on the Yamaha grand at Wesley Music Centre.