Daniel de Borah piano
www.ycat.co.uk

Born in Melbourne in 1981, Daniel de Borah studied at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, the St. Petersburg State Conservatoire and with Tatyana Sarkissova at the Royal Academy of Music, graduating with Distinction in 2006. His teachers have included Zsuzsa Eszto, Mira Jevtic and Nina Seryogina.

With a busy international performing program both with leading orchestras and as soloist, Daniel has won numerous awards including Prizes at the 2004 Sydney International Piano Competition, the 2001 Tbilisi International Piano Competition and the 2000 Arthur Rubinstein in Memoriam Competition in Poland. In 2007 he won the piano section of the Royal Overseas League Competition.

Daniel has already performed widely in Australia, Europe and Russia, appearing as soloist with the Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra. Over the last year he has performed major solo recitals in the UK, and with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Future engagements include performances again with the Royal Philharmonic and Orchestra Victoria.

The Power of Three
Deborah de Graaff clarinet
Leah Lock flute
John Martin piano

Deborah de Graaff has performed with leading orchestras around Australia and Europe, won numerous international competitions and was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Scholarship. She has recorded many times for the ABC and performs live for ABC ClassicFM.  Deborah lectures in clarinet at Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Currently undertaking qualitative research into the efficiency of practice, Deborah’s work will be a case study of elite musicians at the apex of their careers. It should provide insights into current practice techniques as well as clear directions for effective, rewarding and creative instrumental tuition. This could subsequently lead to retention of instruments by students and furthermore should encourage musical development to a greater level of expertise with fewer tensions, stresses or injuries.

Leah Lock was born in the USA where she completed her tertiary education on a music scholarship before moving to Australia in 1994.  She has since completed both a bachelors’ degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a Master of Arts in English Literature at Macquarie University. In addition to further study and playing with a wide range of ensembles and orchestras, Leah presently teaches flute lessons at Knox Grammar School and Loreto Normanhurst in Sydney, and teaches chamber music at the Conservatorium High School.

John Martin is described as a natural and unique accompanist, being equally at home with jazz and improvisation as he is performing lieder, solo classical recital or contemporary new music. He worked for several years within the Ensemble Studies Unit of Sydney Conservatorium before going fulltime as a freelance pianist. He is a frequent performer on ABC Radio and in recital. He is most well known for his work with singers and has also given many performances with solo instrumentalists.  His extensive repertoire extends into many other styles of music where he has worked with the Peta Toppano, Angela Ayers , Buster Noble, Judy Small, Markeeta Littlewolf, Leo Schofield, Penny Hackforth-Jones and Reg Gorman.

Tinalley String Quartet
www.tasq.com.au

Elizabeth Sellars  guest first violin
Lerida Delbridge  second violin
Justin Williams  viola
Michelle Wood  cello

Elizabeth Sellars
A prize winning graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Elizabeth has enjoyed a distinguished career as both performer and teacher in Australia and abroad. Elizabeth has toured the UK and Europe extensively as a chamber musician and soloist, performing with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields and the English Chamber Orchestra.  In Australia, Elizabeth has played with Elision, Libra, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra and has appeared as guest concertmaster with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and Australia Pro Arte.  In 2003 Elizabeth was appointed Lecturer in Violin at Monash University.

Lerida Delbridge
Lerida has toured Europe, Asia, Australia and North America extensively as a chamber musician and soloist from the age of nine.  A Doctoral graduate of The University of Melbourne, Lerida has also studied in the US, Holland, Switzerland and the UK and she has appeared as a principal player with the Australian Youth Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Australia Pro Arte and Geminiani Orchestra. 

Justin Williams
A Masters graduate of The University of Melbourne where he studied with Caroline Henbest and Brett Dean, Justin has performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and as principal violist with the Academy of Melbourne, Geminiani Orchestra and Australia Pro Arte. Originally from the small town of Albury on the New South Wales/Victoria border, Justin has undertaken additional study in North America and the UK.

Michelle Wood
Michelle has performed with many of Australia’s finest small ensembles and chamber orchestras and is a regular soloist and principal player with Australia Pro Arte. She toured Asia and Australia with the Young Piano Trio of Melbourne in 2002-2003 and recently recorded the Ravel Duo for Melba Records with violinist Kristian Winther (to be released late 2008). In addition to her studies in the UK and North America, Michelle completed a Masters of Music Performance in 2006 at The University of Melbourne studying with Christian Wojtowicz, and was one of only four Postgraduate Music students to receive an Australian Postgraduate Award for the duration of the degree. 

Tinalley String Quartet
Since 2003 Tinalley String Quartet has rapidly achieved recognition as one of the most exciting young quartets, not only in Australia but also on the world chamber music stage. Tinalley was awarded First Prize at the prestigious 9th Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2007 and the Grand Prize at the 2005 Australian Chamber Music Competition, now known as the Asia Pacific Music Competition.

From the Sydney Opera House to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Quartet has performed to audiences around the world. 2007/2008 season highlights included performances in Berlin, Baden-Baden, Hamburg, Nurnberg, Luxembourg, Utrecht, Vancouver, Calgary, San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, Toronto and New York.

Their 2008/2009 season will include a second tour of the United States and Canada and numerous recital and festival appearances around Australia.  

At home Tinalley was selected in 2007 as one of ‘Melbourne’s 100 Most Influential People’ in The Age and was nominated in the category of best newcomer in the 2008 Limelight magazine awards. The Quartet is currently the Visiting Ensemble at Trinity College, Melbourne. 

Freshwater
Freshwater are 4 women, sisters Nardi, Jilda & Lucy Simpson of the Barwon & Namoi rivers of western NSW and best friend Kaleena Briggs of the mighty Murrumbidgee. These women come together to sing traditional language stories as well as contemporary English ones – songs that tell of their own constant flow between the rivers and the cities. Freshwater also perform newly written songs in their own languages, combining past, present and future and continuing age old traditions in modern times.

Through performances at home and abroad - in Cyprus, Egypt, East Africa and Dubai, Freshwater are helping bring Yuwaalaraay, Gamilaraay, Wiradjuri & Yorta Yorta language and culture to the world. So as the sounds of Freshwater carry across the waters, let them flow gently through your senses, enticing you back to land, through country, and to life.

Nardi Simpson
The eldest of the Simpson sisters at 31, Nardi is also a vocalist and guitarist in Stiff Gins. During the past 8 years Nardi has toured and performed extensively in Australia and overseas. Completing a diploma of Music in 2003 and a Bachelor of Arts in 2004, Nardi has also recorded and played with children’s band Aunty Wendy’s Mob (Happy To Be Me 2004). Outside music Nardi loves nothing better than listening to the cricket (she used to play competitively & even played a season in England in 1993!), fishing & mucking around with the video camera.

Jilda Simpson
Jilda, 28 lives in Marrickville NSW and is the Deputy Director of Nura Gili Indigenous Programs at the University of NSW. After completing her own degree in Media and Communications (Hons) through Nura Gili, Jilda’s achievements now help to encourage other Indigenous students during their time at UNSW. Jilda is currently undertaking further study in a Masters of Digital Media at the College of Fine Arts (COFA). Outside work her interests include music (a real festival junkie), maintaining her massive yabby tank and snorkelling around Sydney’s beautiful beaches and bays.

Kaleena Briggs
Kaleena, 28 was born in Melbourne and now resides in Marrickville, Sydney. Kaleena began musical study at high school, actively involved in school bands & vocal groups and continued that study through to her graduation in a Diploma in Contemporary Music at TAFE in 2000. Kaleena was a featured vocalist on YABUN, Voices with a Beat, a joint Gadigal Information Services & Koori Radio produced CD released in 1999 & performs the vocals to the opening credits of the ABC’s Message Stick Program. A highlight for Kaleena was performing in a ‘Welcome To Country’ for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Outside music Kaleena is a keen film buff, talented visual artist and has just begun her studies to become an Aboriginal Education Assistant at TAFE.

 Lucy Simpson
The youngest of the Simpson sisters at 25, Lucy is a talented artist who is currently at the College of Fine Arts studying Design. Lucy has produced logos and promotional materials for The Museum of Contemporary Art, Nura Gili Indigenous Programs, Gadigal Information Services as well as designing CD covers and posters for band Stiff Gins. Lucy designed the logo for Freshwater as well as making the costumes and jewellery worn by all Freshwater members. She lives in Stanmore with her partner Gerome, Mother Maureen and new dog Chester.

Patrick Keith piano

Patrick finished high school in Tamworth in 2006 and last year studied Music at UNSW majoring in Piano Performance with Phillip Shovk, one of Australia's finest accompanists and concert pianists.

He has been admitted into the Sydney Conservatorium for piano performance for 2009 and is also preparing for his LMus.A exam later this year.

Jingjing Lu Chinese Harp

Jingjing began learning the Chinese harp at the age of six in China. She studied at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University in 2002, majoring in flute. She finished her Bachelor of Music degree in 2004,and in 2006 completed her Master of Music studies degree at Queensland Conservatorium.

Jingjing has performed at the Tyalgum Festival of Classical Music in 2003, 2004 and 2005.  She gives solo recitals in NSW and Queensland as well as for ABC ClassicFM.

Sydney Chamber Choir (Musical Director Paul Stanhope)
www.sydneychamberchoir.org

From the crystalline purity of 16th-century polyphony to the exuberant energy of new Australian works, Sydney Chamber Choir sings the very best of choral music in all its freshness and beauty.

Formed in 1975, Sydney Chamber Choir quickly established itself among Australia’s finest performers of Renaissance choral music, especially the works of Josquin des Prez, and has been a pioneer in revitalising performances of Baroque masterpieces by Bach and Handel.

The Choir is also renowned for its performances of challenging contemporary choral repertoire, and for commissioning and performing new music by Australian composers. In recent seasons it has given world premieres of works by Nigel Butterley, Paul Witney, Dan Walker and Clare Maclean, and this tradition continues in 2009 with premieres of works by Anne Boyd and Andrew Schultz. Sydney Chamber Choir has toured widely in eastern Australia and performed in the UK at Canterbury Cathedral and Magdalen College Oxford. The Choir’s performances are regularly broadcast across the country on ABC Classic FM, and numerous CD recordings are available on the ABC Classics and Tall Poppies labels. The Choir can also be heard on the soundtracks of a number of feature films.

Recent seasons have included performances of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Britten’s Hymn to St Cecilia and Rejoice in the Lamb, Kodály’s Missa Brevis, Arvo Pärt’s De Profundis and Josquin’s Missa L’Homme Armé. In 2007, the Choir also appeared at the Bangalow Festival in northern NSW and performed Spem in Alium with The Tallis Scholars.

In 2008, Sydney Chamber Choir gave the Sydney premiere of Gordon Kerry’s completion of the Mozart Requiem; presented concerts and workshops for Musica Viva in Sydney and Newcastle; performed together with the award-winning University of Newcastle Chamber Choir; and recorded a number of Australian works for CD release on the ABC Classics and Tall Poppies labels.

Sydney Chamber Choir’s 2009 Sydney concert season features Spanish and Australian works  from the Renaissance to the present day, as well as Baroque masterpieces by JS Bach and Vivaldi. Guest artists appearing with the Choir in 2009 include conductor Graham Abbott, guitarist Slava Grigoryan and the Sydney Conservatorium Early Music Ensemble. In addition to its Sydney concert season, in 2009 the Choir performs for the first time at the Camden Haven Music Frestival, and will appear at the prestigious Tolosa International Choral Festival in Spain in October.

Arrebato Ensemble
www.arrebatoensemble.com

Greg Alfonzetti founder/guitar
Damien de Boos-Smith cello, oud, mandolin, guitar
Lloyd GYI percussion
Dave Ellis double bass
Andrew Poniris saxophones/harmonica

Arrebato Ensemble’s live performances are as much at home in music club haunts such as the Vanguard in Sydney and Bennetts Lane Jazz Club in Melbourne as they are in classical settings such as the Australian Festival of Classical Music, where they performed in 2008. The ensemble is predominantly instrumental with flamenco guitar the main instrument collaborating and combining with the cello, second guitar, mandolin, oud and percussion.

Performing a selection of pieces from their debut CD which has received significant critical acclaim, the ensemble will share with the audience some of their new and unrecorded works. These works will span the breadth of flamenco rhythmic structures, including Alegrias, Bulerias, Solea and Siguiriya, with the exotic music that has been composed within these structures. The ensemble will also discuss with the audience the inner workings of the rhythms they have adopted and the basis of the compositions.

Lyrebird Blues Band
lyrebirdblues.blogspot.com

Pete 'Big Daddy' Doherty guitar,vocals and harp
Kiall 'Catfish' Carpenter drums,vocals and harp
'Baby Face' Sats Kramer upright bass
Kate “Big Mama” Henshaw blues harp, keyboard and vocals

 “……great sounds and upbeat original songs with three singers, guitars, three blues harps, upright bass, keys and drums, and a partridge in a pear tree……..”

The Lyrebird Blues Band. An innocuous enough name, you would think. Certainly not a name that, at first blush, evokes the dark and terrible imagery of the blues - pacts with the devil, graveyard minds, chimneys of human skulls, Cobra-snake neck ties and deals struck in blood with mysterious strangers at midnight crossroads.

Well, think again.
Forget the Bird. Consider the Lyre - creation of Orpheus, poet and musician of mythology who could charm wild beasts and coax the trees and rocks into dance. Orpheus was what would now be called a Shaman, a practitioner of the dark arts. He descended into the underworld and started the cult of Dionysus, god of intoxication and lewd and savage rituals.

Can you see where we’re heading here? Wool of bat, tongue of dog, fillet of a fenny snake? Can you detect the presence of something dark skulking behind the benign moniker Lyrebird Blues Band? Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name? That’s right - the Lyrebird Blues Band!

Blues Point Jazz Vocal Group (formerly High 5)
www.bluespointjazzsingers.com

Lorraine Silk
Liz O'Regan
George Washingmachine
Dan Barnett
Craig Scott bass player

Blues Point’s repertoire ranges from jazz standards by Fats Waller, Irving Berlin and Gershwin through to hits of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Joe Cocker, Elvis Presley and Queen plus some very funky gospel tunes, with arrangements by George Brodbeck, Julian Lee, Judy Bailey and Roger Frampton.  Their intricate vocal arrangements are presented with a unique Australian flavour

Lorraine Silk started as a classical guitarist, and she also loved to sing, becoming professional at 18, performing in club shows and touring New South Wales & Queensland. She became interested in jazz in her early 20s and started working with local greats such as Craig Scott, Julian Lee, Steve Murphy, Alan Turnbull, and many others. Lorraine also has a degree in Music Education and has been teaching in high schools since 1991. She formed Blues Point in 1995 and has produced both their CDs.

George Washingmachine has had a vast and varied career in the entertainment business as a musician, actor, & comedian. As a child he trained for 7 years as a classical violinist, however left all that behind when he formed his rhythm & blues band.  In 1987 he and guitarist Ian Date formed Sweet Atmosphere, a string jazz quartet. George continues to appear at all the major jazz & arts festivals in Australia. In 1997, he joined Blues Point as tenor.

Liz O'Regan has been singing from an early age, when she first performed recorded & toured with one of Australia first gospel bands. Her career has included appearances at jazz festivals, residencies at resorts & restaurants, private & corporate functions and recently as featured soloist with the Doug Williams History of Gospel Show which enjoyed a successful season on Sydney's major club circuit. Liz joined Blues Point in early 2004.

Dan Barnett is a Sydney Conservatorium Jazz Studies graduate, who began his musical life as a trombonist studying with greats such as James Morrison, Don Burrows, George Golla, Bruce Paulson & Steve Turre. Dan's first CD as a vocalist, The Right Track, reached the top 10 in the Australian Jazz charts. His latest CD, Point of No Return, features his big band plus special guest Emma Pask. He joined Blues Point singing baritone in early 2004.

Craig Scott has been one of Australia s leading bassists for over 20 years, working with well known jazz identities such as Don Burrows, James Morrison, Julian Lee, and Kerrie Biddell. He is also deeply involved in jazz education, as the chair of the  Jazz Studies Unit at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and frequently gives master classes at other tertiary institutions around Australia and in New Zealand. Craig joined Blues Point in 1995 as bassist

Shiraz Jazz ‘n’ Blues

Heather Rose and Sheo White are vibrant, entertaining and individual performers that come together as the duo SHIRAZ, a dynamic duo that is like nothing you have ever heard before.

Whether it is with their heart wrenching ballads or Heather's strong and lyrical boogie woogie performances, they are wowing audiences wherever they go. Time after time they turn an afternoon's entertainment into a crowd pleasing show, proving that their virtuosity can be enjoyed by everyone.

They have a unique quality to their music. They are both masters of their chosen instruments: Sheo as King of the Clarinet and Heather as Queen of Piano Boogie on the North Coast.

Both musicians enjoy respect amongst their fellow musicians. Their love of music and performance shines through and everybody is pleasantly surprised by the full and varied sound that Shiraz produces.

Beautifully played jazz ballads that have been known to hush audiences in pubs through to heart thumping rhythms of Heather's Boogies where people clap along and tap their feet.

As well as playing many jazz standards they also sprinkle their show with latin, blues and the occasional rock'n'roll song. Some songs also require audience participation. This unique duo never fails to deliver an entertaining, often humorous, definitely excellent performance incorporating jazz standards, boogie, blues and Heather's originals.

Chutzpah! Klezmer Band
Maria Custudio clarinet
Alan Duri banjo, tenor guitar, and mandolin
David Abkiewicz tuba
Special Guest  Nicky Abkiewicz  horn

Chutzpah! are a dynamic three piece klezmer ensemble, presenting a varied program of instrumental klezmer music, including sprightly folk tunes, traditional wedding dances, heart-wrenching horas and even pieces drawn from Yiddish musical theatre. Chutzpah!’s music is energetic as well as melodic. The band features an authentic 'hot klezmer' lineup of tuba, banjo and clarinet, and will also be joined on stage by guest horn player Nicky Abkiewicz 

Todd Hardy Jazz Quintet with vocalist Jane Irving
www.toddhardy.com.au
www.janeirving.com

Todd Hardy - trumpet/flugelhorn
Andrew Robertson - sax/flute
Darren Heinrich - piano
Nic Cecire - drums
Greg Royal - double bass

Together and individually, these performers have worked with some of the top names in the music business:

• Kate Ceberano
• James Morrison
• Marcia Hines
• George Washingmachine
• Jenny Morris
• Vince Jones
• George Golla and many more

Jane Irving began classical piano studies when 6 years old, and through the encouragement of her first piano teacher continued until she was 18, while at the same time entering vocal eisteddofau and competitions. “When my brother introduced me to the blues, my ears really opened up to the vocal possibilities” she relates. Her singing has been influenced by Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk and so on……With a willingness to explore a wide dynamic vocal range, unique phrasing and a rare ability to interpret a lyric, Jane has won the respect and admiration of audiences and fellow musicians.

Todd Hardy grew up in Port Macquarie, went to Port Primary and joined the School Orchestra. Music Camps at Bonny Hills, Port High Big Band and Hastings Koalas Orchastra were followed by Sydney Conservatorium where he gained his Bachelor of Music in Jazz. Since then he’s been working as a jazz musician and educator... highlights last year including a tour of Japan with Anita Spring, a tour of Brazil with The Dan Barnett Big Band and being the featured soloist on Grace Knight’s Aria nominated album "Willow".

Andrew Robertson, also a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium, now has a very busy professional life as musician, composer/arranger and music educator. As a woodwind specialist he has worked with Michael Buble, John Farnham, John & James Morrison, Emma Pask, Tom Burlinson, Don Burrows et al. Also heavily involved in music education, Andrew conducts a number of Sydney school bands and ensembles and is a Director of the NSW Dept of Education Performing Arts Unit.

Darren Heinrich In addition to a 1st class Honours degree from the prestigious Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Darren has over 20 years experience performing Jazz/Blues/Funk/Latin/Soul on both Piano and Hammond Organ. His influences incorporate the entire spectrum of the Jazz idiom, from its earliest ragtime roots to modern jazz. He has performed in the USA, Japan, Singapore, Dubai and New Zealand. Local performance credits include a residency at the WineBanq and as a feature artist at The Basement. His Jazz Organ Trio has a residency at the Broadway Café.

Nic Cecire has been playing professionally for over 20 years. In that time he has performed and recorded with many of Australia’s leading artists in a wide variety of musical settings. He is an in demand drummer and has worked with some of Australia’s leading jazz musicians, currently with Jenny Morriss and Zkye.

He has also recorded with artists such as the Whitlams, On Inc, Yothu Yindi, and many others. Nic is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Greg Royal has a CV that reads like a list of the greatest performers Australia can provide: Tamabalane, Wendy Mathews, Kate Ceberano, Dan Barnett Big Band, Brett Hunt, Sarah McGregor, Juggernaut, Australian Idol Big Band, Enormous Horns, James Blundell and Lee Kernigan, and on and on….

Heavenly Lights
www.tonybackhouse.com.au/heavenly_lights
 
Tony Backhouse
Stuart Davis
Rob Maxwell Jones

The tightly-arranged, yet passionately-sung Black gospel style of the '40s male quartet had a major influence on R&B, soul and popular music that has lasted to this day, yet is now rarely heard outside the church. The traditional a cappella arrangements build on call and response patterns, rhythmic grooves, swapping parts, alternation of leads, and a high level of independence in the parts allowing for improvisation and embellishment.

Tony Backhouse and Stuart Davis, soloists, arrangers and composers from award-winning Sydney choir the Café of the Gate of Salvation, join with Rob Maxwell Jones of jazz groups Rabblescat and Blues Point to explore the intricate, rhythmic and fiery songs by such seminal groups as the Golden Gate Quartet, the Dixie Hummingbirds, the Swan Silvertones, the Spirit of Memphis Quartet or the Soul Stirrers.

Formed as a quartet in March 1996 (with tenor William Selwyn, one of the greatest soloists in the Café of the Gate of Salvation), the Heavenly Light Quartet first sang in the Sydney Town Hall at the Great Big Gospel Night with Kate Ceberano, Lily Dior, the Café of the Gate of Salvation and others. They have sung at WOMADelaide, the Melbourne International Festival, East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, the Sydney and Melbourne A cappella Festivals, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Apollo Bay Music Festival, Brisbane Biennial Festival, Festival Fremantle, Wangaratta Jazz Festival, jazz and rock venues in Sydney and Melbourne, and broadcast on 2BL, Radio National, 2SER, Channel 10's 'Monday to Friday', and Channel 9's 'Today Show'.   
 
Since 1999, with the departure of William Selwyn, they continue to perform successfully as a trio. Due to their other musical commitments, the Heavenly Lights tend to perform only on rare occasions, in 2001-2002 appearing only at the Queensland Biennial Festival of Music, the Brisbane Sacred Music Festival, the Goulburn Blues Festival and at the Sydney A Cappella Festival. In July 2003 the trio performed at jazz and blues festivals, concerts and clubs in Spain and the south of France. They toured with Harry Manx in NSW in January 2004.