‘Gorgeous sound and incredible breath control combined with vivacity, beautiful phrasing – it doesn’t get any better than this.’

– The Advertiser

Diana Doherty is one of the finest oboists in Australia. Since her prize-winning performances at the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition in 1985, her career has continued to flourish: postgraduate study in Zürich led to her appointment as Principal Oboe of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland (1990–97), before she returned to Australia to take up the same position with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) in 1997, a role that continues today. Many of the nation’s leading composers have taken inspiration from her playing: Ross Edwards’ Bird Spirit Dreaming (2002) and Nigel Westlake’s Spirit of the Wild (2016) were written for and inspired by Diana’s agile virtuosity. Joining Diana for her much-anticipated return to UKARIA are three colleagues with whom she shares a special rapport.

Joshua Batty joined the SSO as Principal Flute in 2019 after holding the same position with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra in Ireland. At the age of 24 he was already tutoring at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and is now an Associate of the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London. He’s appeared as Guest Principal Flute with the London Symphony Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, amongst many others.

In 2016 Todd Gibson-Cornish was appointed Principal Bassoon of the SSO at the age of 21, following his graduation from the RCM as a Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Scholar. He was awarded the Tagore Gold Medal for his outstanding musical contribution to the RCM, which was presented to him by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

During her postgraduate studies at the RCM, Melbourne-based pianist Louisa Breen was awarded the Chappell Gold Medal – the institution’s highest award for piano. Louisa is now an Associate Faculty member at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), and her busy concert schedule includes regular appearances with the SSO as an orchestral pianist.

In this recital for us, Diana, Joshua, Todd and Louisa play beguiling works by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Carl Reinecke, Henri Dutilleux, and Frank Martin, in a program bookended by music by the talented young Australian composer Harry Sdraulig, including a brand-new work specially commissioned for this performance by Andrew and Renata Kaldor.

PROGRAM

Harry Sdraulig (b. 1992)
Hat-trick for Flute, Oboe and Bassoon (7′)

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959)
Duo for Oboe and Bassoon, W535 (18′)

I. Allegro
II. Lento
III. Allegro vivace

Carl Reinecke (1824–1910)
Sonata Undine in E minor for Flute and Piano, Op. 167 (20′)

I. Allegro
II. Intermezzo. Allegretto vivace
III. Andante tranquillo
IV. Finale. Allegro molto agitato ed appassionato, quasi Presto

INTERVAL

Henri Dutilleux (1916–2013)
Sarabande et Cortège for Bassoon and Piano (8′)

I. Sarabande
II. Cortège

Frank Martin (1890–1974)
Petite Complainte for Oboe and Piano (3′)

Harry Sdraulig (b. 1992)
New Work for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon and Piano (World Premiere)* [15′]

* Commissioned by the Andrew and Renata Kaldor Family Foundation.