5 August

Ben Sheen

(Senior organ scholar, Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford)

Concerto in A minor BWV 592 (after Vivaldi) - J S Bach (1685 - 1750)

Four Sketches for pedal-piano Op.58 - R Schumann (1810 - 1856)

Roulade Op.9 No.3  - Seth Bingham (1882 - 1972)

Prelude et Fugue sur le nom d'Alain Op.7  - M Duruflé (1902 - 1986)

Benjamin Sheen is currently the Senior Organ Scholar at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, and is one of the brightest young organists of his generation. Ben began his musical education as a chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, where he took up the organ aged 10. In 2003, Ben became the youngest person ever to give a recital in the cathedral’s Sunday evening series at the age of just 13. Ben was awarded a music scholarship to Eton College where he studied organ with Alastair Sampson and David Goode. While at Eton, Ben gave several recitals across the UK, including Liverpool Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and York Minster as well as appearing a number of times in the Windsor Festival as a soloist. He also toured the USA with the Eton College Choir and also giving a number of solo concerts in New York, Denver, Washington and Princeton University.

While studying at Oxford, Ben combines his position as organ scholar in the cathedral with a busy solo career, which has led him to numerous performances in cathedrals and concert halls across the UK, as well as further afield in Australia and Germany. Recently, Ben has given several performances of his own transcription of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, as well as several concerto performances of Guilmant and Poulenc. Ben has made appearances on BBC Radio Oxford and BBC Radio 3 with Christ Church Cathedral Choir, and will do so again in the coming year. Ben has also performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Nicholas Cleobury, and Duisburg Philharmonie with Jonathan Darlington.

As a pianist, Ben gained the highest mark in grade 8 in 2004, and was awarded the Sheila Mossman prize. In the summer of 2008, Ben gave a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the Eton College Symphony Orchestra. Ben is also a keen accompanist and chamber musician and has performed piano trios by Mendelssohn, Faure and Brahms. Ben is also the accompanist for the Oxford Bach Choir, working with Nicholas Cleobury and Tim Byram-Wigfield. Ben has recently gained his Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists, winning the Limpus, Durrant and Frederick Shinn prizes. From September 2011, Ben will take up his place on the Master of Music course in organ performance at the Juilliard School in New York, USA, studying with Paul Jacobs.

12 August

"Charisma"

Julia Ryder (Cello),

Ros Dunlop (Clarinet)

Two Part Inventions:  numbers 10 and 14  - J.S Bach (1685 - 1750) 

Invention on the style of J.S Bach  - Martin Wesley-Smith (1945 - )

Duet  - Stephen Dankner (1944 - )

Lullaby  - Howard Skempton (1947 - )

Merry-Go-Round  - Martin Wesley-Smith (1945 - )

Charisma was founded by clarinettist Roslyn Dunlop and cellist Julia Ryder in 1995 to explore and develop music for clarinet and cello. The group has premiered many works and enjoys an international reputation for lively and virtuosic music-making, receiving critical acclaim for tours in Australasia and Europe. Programmes include works spanning four centuries and four continents. Many composers from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Britain and Germany have written works for Charisma. They Frequently conduct composer workshops, and are particularly keen to encourage emerging composers. Charisma moves easily across all kinds of musical boundaries – from classical to blues, avant-garde to tangos, and minimalist to multi-media works. The marriage of styles has led to performances in unconventional venues such as jazz clubs, art galleries, bars and open spaces as well as traditional concert halls. Collaborations with musicians and organizations have led to concerts of eclectic repertoire, such as the art exhibition "State of Art Peace", giving multimedia performances about human rights commencing in Manly Gallery and then regional NSW in 2004. They frequently collaborate with other musicians to expand on the trio repertoire. With guest Violinist Chris Kimber they gave many performances of the Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time, in 2004 & 2005. Recently with guest violist Valmai Coggins they gave a stunning performance of Moya Henderson's "G'day Africa" pieces. They have recordings on CD and record for the ABC.

Ros Dunlop is one of Australia's leading clarinetists/bass clarinetists. She has been a strong advocate of new music for the clarinet & bass clarinet all her professional life. She has commissioned many Australian Composers and premiered many new compositions by composers worldwide. Ros has performed throughout Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, East Timor and the USA, Her CDs have received International acclaim. Ros is a founding member of Charisma, with whom she has commissioned and premiered many new works including many multimedia premieres. In 2003 she embarked on an extensive project in East Timor, recording the traditional music of East Timor thus preserving it for future generations. She has been involved in music projects & concerts there ever since. Ros teaches clarinet and chamber music at Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Julia Ryder has earned a reputation as one of Australia's most accomplished performers. She has won various prizes for her interpretation of Beethoven and chamber music as well as for her performances at the Darmstadt Ferienkurse für Neue Musik. She has worked with composers such as Messiaen, Xenakis, Ferneyhough and Finnissy and has toured and recorded extensively as a soloist and with Australian and European ensembles and also appearing regularly at major festivals in Australia, Asia and Europe. Julia records for ABC Classics, Etcetera records (Holland) and Virgin Classics. She is a founding member of Charisma and Michelangeli Ensemble. She teaches chamber music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

19 August

Stacey Yang (Piano)

Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 874  - J S Bach (1685 - 1750)

Gnossienne  - Erik Satie (1866 - 1925)

Regard de la Vierge from ‘Vingt regards sur l’enfant Jesus’
Olivier Messiaen (1908 - 1992)

Sonata in E minor Op. 7   - Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907)
1. Allegro moderato
2. Andante molto
3. Alla Menuetto, ma poco più lento
4. Finale: Molto allegro

Having studied piano in China for many years, since moving to Sydney, Stacey Yang has studied piano with both Lyall Duke and Stephanie McCallum. She also studies organ with Kurt Ison. She has been working as a piano tutor at MLC School, Burwood since 2007 and is both the Honorary Carillonist and the Organ Scholar at the University of Sydney where she recently completed her Masters degree in Health Science. She has given several carillon recitals in Europe and regularly gives organ recitals in Sydney including at the Sydney Opera House, St Andrew's Cathedral, St James', King St, Christ Church St Laurence and the University of Sydney. She is currently the organist of St Anne’s Anglican Church, Strathfield.

26 August

Daniel Dries
(former Organist, St Stephen's)

Pièce Héroïque  - César Franck (1822-90)

Cantabile  - César Franck (1822-90)

Cortège et Litanie - Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)

Ballade en Mode Phrygien - Jehan Alain (1911-40)

Deuxieme Fantasie - Jehan Alain (1911-40)

Carillon-Sortie  - Henri Mulet (1878-1967)

Daniel Dries was born in Sydney in 1971. He completed a Master of Music degree at the University of Newcastle in 1995, majoring in organ performance. His teachers included Professor Michael Dudman and Anthony Jennings. He has also attained Associate Diplomas in organ performance from the Royal College of Organists and the Royal College of Music in London (ARCO & ARCM). Daniel also holds Licentiate diplomas from Trinity College of Music, London and the Australian Music Examinations Board (LTCL & LMusA).

Daniel has given many recitals at venues in Australia and overseas including the Sydney Opera House, St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, Sydney University Great Hall, and Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, U.S.A. From 2000 to 2005 Daniel was Organist and Director of Music at St. Stephen’s Uniting Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney. From 2001 to 2005 Daniel was also Head of Music at SCEGGS Darlinghurst. From 2002 to 2004 Daniel conducted the annual massed-choir performance of Messiah at the Sydney Town Hall, involving 500 singers and musicians. In July 2005 Daniel was awarded a Doctor of Creative Arts degree from the University of Wollongong. This research project focussed on the French Symphonic organ tradition, with a particular emphasis on the life and work of Marcel Dupré.

In 2006 Daniel completed a Bachelor of Theology degree at Charles Sturt University. He was ordained a priest in the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle and is currently the Priest-in-charge of the Parish of Belmont.