What's on

Strange how you can be in one world and miss the passing worlds of others.  Kendrick Lamar is in town this weekend and I only just saw it in my online Canberra Times.  A friend mentioned she's going to see Hiromi in Sydney - was it also this weekend?  Would love to see Hiromi, even with a string quartet which is the format for this tour.  There was a pop stadium act just in recent months which I only heard of after the fact: now who was it?  But I have a clash on Saturday evening with Tom Fell/Rachel Thoms and Handel (and Kendrick Lamar) and I've known of the locals for weeks/months.  There's tons of capable local music and venues I haven't visited and increasing visitors.  Perhaps I should keep up with BMA or JJJ or WOLO or whatever.  Anyway, I really meant to write of an excellent pianist I just recorded at Wesley on Wed Lunchtime playing Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Liszt, Glinka and Schumann.  Maybe it's too tame, too much of another era, like crystal glasses or English bone china, but she was good.  Miani Kirk played with immense facility, big dynamics and huge variation, so the slower, pensive spots just sat, pending, almost unplayed, then the quicker developments were released, verging on manic in intensity.  It was an interesting combination and totally convincing in its performance.  Sparsity and pauses then immensity and drama.  And it was loud; my recording level was well down.  I was not the only one quite floored by Miani's variation and virtuosity and volume on the day.  Impressed and enjoyed.  And this was one local gig I knew of.

Miani Kirk (piano) performed at Wesley.

Pleasures

It was telling how the chatter after the Marie Cull Studio concert at Wesley was just a little taken aback but very admiring.  Marie had introduced the students as aged 11-17, saying this is the first question she's always asked.  We heard 7 performers playing 8 pieces.  It turns out they will be presenting for exams next week, the likes of AmusA and LMusA.  Perhaps a few slips, but this is nerve-wracking stuff for young performers, but so well played.  Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Ravel and publicly lesser knows Labunski, Bridge, Glinka; romantics and impressionists and more.  Marie herself speaks of developing love and knowledge of music.  It works.  This was a wonderful, inviting and satisfying concerts by a string of young players.  Much enjoyed.

Piano students of Marie Cull performed at Wesley.  The players were Alicia Fernando (Labunski), Mion Kirk (Bridge), Oreste Rollas (Rachmaninov), Nancy Xu (Glinka), Belle Andrewartha (Mendelssohn), Miani Kirk (Liszt) and Benjamin Francis (Rachmaninoff, Ravel).