Piano Panoply is a three-day celebration of the piano from 3 - 5 October at WAAPA.
The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) is proud to present Piano Panoply, a three-day celebration of the piano from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 October in the Richard Gill Auditorium, at Edith Cowan University's (ECU's) Mount Lawley Campus.
WAAPA staff, students and guest artists will present four unforgettable concerts, a free interactive exhibition, public lecture, and research symposium.
Piano Panoply will be led by music directors Dr Tonya Lemoh, WAAPA's Head of Classical Piano, and Stewart Smith, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Centre for Keyboard Heritage and Performance Research, who will be joined by an impressive array of leading music scholars and brilliant performers.
This festival of both historical and modern pianos kicks off on Friday 3 October with a Symposium featuring academic presentations and interviews from 9.00am to 4.00pm. This will be followed by a Keynote Address by renowned scholar Dr Andrew Snedden from 5.00pm to 6.15pm. Dr Snedden's insights into the world of Romantic-era performance practice will offer new ways of understanding this rich musical legacy.
That evening audiences can enjoy a ticketed concert, Romantic Piano Inspirations: Liszt and Company, with the music of Liszt and his contemporaries performed on period instruments.
On Saturday 4 October, families are invited to a free Historical Piano Exhibition and Interactive Showcase from 1.00pm to 3.30pm, in which master piano technician Dr Paul Tunzi will share his expertise and attendees are welcome to play the instruments.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to interact with historic pianos, to see them up close, and to have a go for themselves," said Associate Professor Jonathan Paget, WAAPA's Associate Dean of Music.
"These old pianos unveil different sound worlds that provide a tantalising glimpse into bygone eras – we look forward to seeing the joy of discovery on many young people's faces."
At 5.00pm that day, Dr Lemoh performs The Australian Album: A Recital, featuring a selection of pieces from authentic 19th century Australian music albums.
Later that evening at 7.00pm, audiences can discover the extraordinary range of modern piano music in The Piano Reimagined. This concert includes the world premiere of a newly commissioned work for modern piano, historic piano, viola, and electronics by renowned Noongar composer Dr Aaron Wyatt.
"Dr Wyatt is a celebrated WAAPA Music graduate who is now on staff at Monash University," said Associate Professor Paget.
"His new composition paints a poignant and nostalgic tribute to Edith Cowan University's Mount Lawley Campus, which has been WAAPA's home since 1980.
"As we turn the page and enter the new ECU City Campus in the new year, what better way to ponder the music of our past, present, and future."
The Piano Panoply weekend concludes on 5 October at 2.00pm with a final concert, From the Drawing Room to the Pleasure Gardens. Performed on WAAPA's historical pianos, this concert will transport the audience back to the time of Jane Austen, with a selection of English early Romantic piano pieces.
So, if you're passionate about the piano, this fabulous three-day festival celebrating the multi-faceted world of this glorious instrument is not to be missed!
Registration is required for the Symposium and Historical Piano Exhibition; the four concerts are ticketed at $27 Full / $22 Concession / $20 Friends. However, if you book three or more concerts in a single transaction, you'll get 25% off. Limited seats to all events so book and register now.
The inclusion of ECU's remarkable historic pianos has been made possible through the generosity of our supporters, with special recognition to the Feilman Foundation and the Wright Burt Foundation.
Event details:
Piano Panopoly: A Celebration of the Piano and its Music - Past, Present and Future
Richard Gill Auditorium, WAAPA, Edith Cowan University, 2 Bradford St, Mt Lawley
Fri 3, Sat 4 & Sun 5 October
Concert tickets: $27 Full / $22 Concession / $20 Friends
Special Offer: 25% discount for 3 or more concerts booked in one transaction
To register for the Symposium and Historical Piano Exhibition, please go to the WAAPA website.
Book and register now: Tel: (08) 6304 6895 or online at waapa.ecu.edu.au
