- This event has passed.
Close to Home
26 October, 2022 : 7:30 pm - 8:40 pm
SHOW DETAILS:
Wednesday 26 October 2022
duration: 60-70 minutes
time: 7:30pm
ticket price: $32 – $38
bookings: 03 9662 9966
Featuring dramatic contralto Liane Keegan, mezzo soprano Juel Riggall, soprano Naomi Summers and pianist Isaac Mouskovias.
The importance of music in creating a sense of identity and place cannot be overstated; for many musicians, their favourite piece is one that has become intertwined with treasured memories and a connection to home.
This program will cover a wide range of classical and contemporary music from various eras and composers and introduce Melbourne audiences to works composed by South Australian composer, Pamela L. Walker OAM, to the immortal words of well-renowned poets Adam Lindsay Gordon, Max Harris and John Shaw Neilson.
This concert is supported by Regional Arts Victoria.
Juel Riggall – Mezzo Soprano
Juel holds a BMus/BArts from Melbourne University. Roles include Mrs Anderssen, A Little Night Music, Madame de la Haltier, Cendrillon Flower Maiden in Parsifal, The Green Fairy, Sleeping Beauty for Victorian Opera, Flora Bervoix, Anina, La Traviata, Grimgerde, Die Walkure for Melbourne Opera as well as Turnspit, Rusalka, and Dew Fairy, Hansel and Gretel among others.
Recent engagements include Mezzo Soloist for The Australian Ballet’s production of Anna Karenina, Mezzo soloist for Gounod’s Requiem with Victoria Choral and a member of the female sexted for Melbourne Opera’s The Rise and Fall of Mahagonny. Juel has also been engaged as a guest soloist with Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra in Nanjing as well as a concert tour of China and Singapore with Melbourne Opera and has sung in various productions with Victorian Opera, Melbourne Opera and Opera Australia.
Juel has been a participant in the prestigious Lisa Gasteen National Opera School and has also been the recipient of the Acclaim Awards Chief Justice’s Award.
Naomi Summers – Soprano
Naomi was born in Mount Gambier and relocated to Melbourne to commence tertiary studies. Naomi holds a Bachelor of Music Performance and a Postgraduate Diploma of Music Performance and has furthered her operatic training at the Belcanto Summer Vocal Programme for young dramatic voices in Munich, Germany.
Her operatic role debut was in Dvorak’s Rusalka as the Foreign Princess and has since performed Giulietta and Voice of the Mother in Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann. She has extensive concert and recital experience including Soprano Soloist with the Heidelberg Choral Society in Petite Messe Solennelle; Guest Artist for the Limestone Coast Symphony Orchestra, Royal Melbourne Philharmonic, Melbourne International Singers Festival and Music Lover’s Society. Naomi is currently an artist with XL Arts inc, performing regularly in operatic and art song concerts and productions.
Competition highlights include winning the Glenys Murrell Aria Award and John Dingle Aria Award, runner-up in Freemasons Aria and Ringwood Aria, semi-finalist in the Herald Sun Aria, finalist in the Arnold Matters Scholarship, Warrnambool City Aria and the South Eastern Arts Festival Aria.
Liane Keegan – Dramatic Contralto
Born in Australia, Liane received scholarships from the Opera Foundation Australia, Shell Royal Covent Garden Scholarship which enabled her to study at the National Opera Studio London. She attended the AIMS summer School in Graz Austria on the Opera Australia Foundation Scholarship and in 1997, she won a Bayreuth Bursary from the Wagner Society of Great Britain.
Liane came to the attention of both critics and public alike with roles including Azucena Il Trovatore for Opera of South Australia, Ulrica Un Ballo in Maschera for Opera Australia conducted by Simone Young. Liane continues to have an extensive operatic career internationally and domestically encompassing over 35+ operatic roles.
International concert appearances have included Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, 1997 BBC Proms, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Liverpool Philharmonic, The Auckland Philharmonia and several appearances for The Edinburgh Festival.
Since returning to Australia permanently in 2012, Liane has appeared in operatic productions with Opera Australia, Victorian Opera and Melbourne Opera. Guest soloist for The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Australian Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Melbourne Philharmonic and The Zelman Symphony Orchestra. Also, appearing as a Guest Artist with Ludovico’s Band and regularly appears as the Alto soloist with Heidelberg Choral Society.
Over the devastating COVID period, Liane has appeared in concerts for the Australian Digital Concert Hall with Pianist Stefan Cassomenos performing Judy Garland songs written by women from the American Songbook and a concert with Plexus, featuring Brahms, Schumann and Strauss songs. Liane also appeared as Judy in the Cabaret show “Judy 1964” at the Athenaeum Theatre. In February of 2022, Liane appeared as Begbick in The rise and fall of the City of Mahagonny for Melbourne Opera/ I Opera at the Athenaeum theatre.
For Liane’s full biography, visit https://www.lianekeegan.com.au/
Isaac Mouskovias – Pianist/Accompanist
Isaac is an accompanist, repetiteur, conductor and piano technique specialist. From an early age Isaac excelled as a pianist and began studying and working as an accompanist professionally at age 14. After an early acceptance into a Bachelor of Music at age 16, Isaac continued to work professionally as an accompanist and teacher, also attaining his Associate Diploma in Piano Performance with distinctions, studying under the tutelage of Eleonora Sivan.
Academic achievements include a Certificate in Vocal Science, an Associate Diploma in Classical Voice, a Professional Performance Diploma in Piano Accompaniment, a Diploma in the Alexander Technique, two Licentiate diplomas in Piano Accompaniment, and a Master of Arts (Music Performance) majoring in Vocal Accompaniment and Injury Preventative Piano Technique.
Since relocating to Melbourne in 2017, Issac has held a tenured accompanist position at Brighton Grammar School and College Accompanist/VCE repetiteur at Mentone Girls’ Grammar School, Accompanist/Repetiteur at St Michael’s Grammar School and St Margaret’s & Berwick Grammar School and is currently a Piano Teacher at Firbank Grammar School.
As a multi-faceted freelance musician, Issac is currently working with the Australian Children’s Choir as both accompanist and conductor, holding this position since 2018. Engagements as an opera repetiteur, include Die Zauberflöte, The Enchanted Pig, Semele, and most recently, Elena Katz-Chernin’s Iphis. As an experienced recitalist, Isaac has delivered varied programs of versatile music, Most recently performing, his Masters recital programme of English art song, French Chanson and Menotti’s Canti Della Lontanaza. Being a classical vocalist himself, Isaac has a particular affinity for vocal accompaniment, especially lieder and art song.
Ticket Prices:
Full: $38
Concession: $32
Group 6+: $32
Concessions:
Pensioners/Full-time students/MEAA members
NO BOOKING FEE SURCHARGE