CONTRA
CONCERTS
Intimate Chamber Music
ARCHIVE / REVIEWS
CONTRA SCHUBERT
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Backstreet Brisbane
October 2022
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Contra Schubert was an intimate and evocative chamber concert that allowed each piece to be drawn out and savoured.
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"Contra Schubert was everything you could ask of a concert – moving, evocative, and surprising. Delightfully transportive, it drew together four talented artists and a programme of pieces inspired by emotion, nature, and the night, allowing each to be showcased and savoured individually and collectively."
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"The pacing of the concert was pleasantly unhurried, and in the close setting it was easy to become lost in the music."
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CONTRA SCHUBERT
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Arts Hub
October 2022
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Musically, Contra Schubert was an interesting and varied program
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"Written as a virtuosic piece for flute and played superbly by Jonathan Henderson as the voice of the tragic hero, this interpretation was strongly supported by first-rate piano accompaniment from Vatche Jambazian. Commencing quietly with gentle, light touches on piano and delicate phrasing on the flute, there was excellent articulation by both musicians."
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"...the powerful mezzo of Shikara Ringdahl soon gave us a lush and richly poetic legato."
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CONTRA SCHUBERT
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Weekend Notes
October 2022
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Three excellent musicians. A challenging choice of music. And the hope that we will hear more from all three.
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"Many of the audience were listening with closed eyes, being taken to secret spaces. And the rapturous applause at the end of the performance suggested that they appreciated where it had taken them."
CONTRA MOZART
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Stage Door
September 2022
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"The four superb musicians are a delight to watch and listen to and the bonus is that they mingle with the audience at the end of the show. What a wonderful way to experience beloved pieces and also less familiar ones."
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SONIC BEETHOVEN
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The Creative Issue
June 2021
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Sonic Beethoven was an exuberant evening of sublime chamber music and the perfect way to unwind last Friday night.
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"Sonic Beethoven was a thoroughly enjoyable evening where centuries-old Beethoven met with vibrant and refreshing contemporary Australian works. Jonathan [Henderson] and Alex [Raineri] dazzled, presenting the varied, dynamic scope of the flute-piano duo. They were met with rapturous applause. We then had a glass of wine and chatted with the artists before heading out into the cold Brisbane night."
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DIGITAL DEBUSSY
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Limelight Magazine
May 2021
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A new chamber music series offers an intelligent, beautifully played program in a glorious heritage venue.
"If this is the standard and quality of work that Contra Concerts can produce in only its second concert of its inaugural season, then we are in for a real treat in any future series. This is a chamber music series to watch"
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BACH OUT LOUD
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Stage Whispers
May 2021
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Contra Concerts' debut series started in Brisbane with a delightful curated concert of pieces by J.S. Bach. The intimate setting in the quaint space of the Holy Trinity Church Hall, with its beautiful high wooden ceiling, allows a closeness to the musicians which means the pieces can be enjoyed almost as the composer would have envisioned.
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"This elegant one-hour salon programme was perfect for a cool Friday night and a great way to shake off the working week to focus instead on beautiful music. Bach's knack for melody and sweet melancholy make this short programme a perfect introduction for listeners new to classical music – while the curated compositions represent a chronological choice of pieces that build in sonic complexity, which will please the aficionados in the crowd."
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