In Conversation

A much-loved cellist who Australia has adopted from his native Finland, Timo-Veikko Valve (known as Tipi) came to this country to become principal cellist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra 16 years ago, a position he has held ever since. He spreads his wings far beyond the ACO, making frequent guest appearances with chamber groups across the country, and of course has played across Europe, North America and Asia. He'll be featured as a soloist in the upcoming ACO tour titled simple “Bach”, and has been very busy in the recording studio too.

In this conversation, Tipi shares his thoughts on some of his favourite works, including sharing some unreleased recordings. He also talks about the complex task of making recordings of his music and the joys of the Finnish sauna experience!

Internationally renowned clarinettist David Rowden has performed throughout Europe, Asia, North America, as well as Australia. Not content with being just a soloist, he founded the Omega Ensemble, championing Australian musical talent, and has picked up plenty of APRA/AMCOS classical music nominations along the way. His playing has been described by critics as possessing “superb technique and artistry”.

In this conversation with Simon Moore, David talks about his earlier career, and also takes a deep dive into CoLAB, the program which the Omega Ensemble has created for early-career composers to obtain direct industry experience in collaboration with the musicians of Omega Ensemble, and under the mentorship of leading professional composers.

Through the Sydney Art Quartet, founder James Beck connects audiences with layered, multi-sensory experiences based on live music woven with contrasting art forms and the wider world of history, arts & sciences. In the pursuit of that goal, he’s performed over 150 original Art Quartet shows with a cross section of some of Australia’s most vibrant creative voices. Previously the Artistic Manager of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, he is well versed in bringing historic music artefacts to contemporary relevance.

In this conversation, James demonstrates his ability to make the most complex and esoteric of ideas engaging and accessible, sharing witty and erudite stories of the art of creating and sharing music.

Julia Fredersdorff is a violinist who has planted her flag very firmly with the Baroque violin – so much so, that she was the first student at the Victorian College of the Arts to study the instrument, separate from the modern violin. After a period in Europe playing with some of their finest ensembles, she returned to Australia to found the perfectly titled Van Diemen’s Band, as well as playing frequently as concertmaster with the Orchestra of the Antipodes, period string quartet Ironwood and baroque trio Latitude 37. In June, she is making a guest appearance with Bach Akadamie Australia.

In this conversation, Julia shares some delightfully light-hearted stories about what attracted her to the Baroque violin, the formation of Van Diemen's Band, and gives great insights into music of the era and performance technique. 

A multi-award winning actress, Anne Wood has been strutting the stage both here and overseas in musical theatre for over 30 years. Whether it’s Cats or Mamma Mia, Crazy for You or The Sound of Music, she’s covered the full spectrum of what the genre has to offer. Melbourne based, she’s currently in Sydney playing Madame Baurel in An American in Paris, now playing at the Theatre Royal.

Anne shares plenty of fun stories about her love of theatre and working in the industry, from her start in the 1980s in Cats, to the joys of the music of ABBA in Mamma Mia, in which she played the lead role of Donna for a total of three years across several productions.

A soprano and actress who has established an international career spanning opera, theatre, concert and film, Anna O’Byrne has performed with the likes of Anthony Warlow and Emma Thompson, sung for Charles and Camilla, and appeared in everything from West Side Story to Barnum, and Guys and Dolls to A Little Night Music. But her most well known role on these shores was as Eliza Doolittle in the 60th Anniversary production of My Fair Lady, at the Sydney Opera House, for which she won the Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Musical. Anna appears at the Playhouse of the Sydney Opera House in her own one-woman show, Becoming Eliza, from 9-12 June.

In this conversation, Anna shares stories of working with and learning from her childhood idol Julie Andrews, her remarkable start in The Phantom of the Opera, only a few weeks after finished her degree, plus being part of the recreation of the role of Christine Daaé for Love Never Dies when it got its second start in Melbourne.

An internationally acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, director, novelist and actor, not to mention cultural icon and activist, Leah Purcell stands at the forefront of the Indigenous cultural renaissance and protest movement. A proud Goa-Gungarri-Wakka Wakka Murri woman, she is well known to audiences in Australia and around the world for her many roles, including in Wentworth, Redfern Now, Jindabyne and Lantana. In this conversation, Leah takes a deep dive with Simon Moore into her new film, The Drover’s Wife the Legend of Molly Johnson, which is in cinemas from 5 May.

Leah talks fondly about her mother reading the original Henry Lawson short story to her as a child, and she gives incredible insights into her inspiration and the creation of the film, which she developed from her own play and novel. She often talks emotionally and with great candour about her own experiences and those of her family, which informed the expansion of the story from the original.

Brisbane born Francesca Hiew was quite the child prodigy. Her career took her to the United States at the age of just 9 and in her later studies she won every chamber music competition she entered – often twice! She’s appeared as soloist with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria, was part of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and is now one quarter of the Australian String Quartet.

Francesca speaks with Simon Moore about her intensely musical upbringing, her love of chamber music, and how she learnt that sometimes it’s possible to practice too much.

Photo credit: Jacqui Way

A sought-after specialist in baroque and classical period violin in Australia, Skye McIntosh is the founder, artistic director and principle violin of the Australian Haydn Ensemble. For the last decade, they’ve made their mark on historically informed performance practice in this country.

Skye speaks with Simon Moore about one of Haydn’s greatest works, The Creation, and talks about her own journey falling in love with period instruments and performance practice which led to the birth of the Australian Haydn Ensemble.

One of Australia’s most distinguished violinists, Dene Olding has a long history with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, having been their Concertmaster for two separate stints. He’s performed as a concerto soloist in Australia and internationally, whether it be performing the great concertos of the past or premiering new works. A member of the Australia Ensemble, he’s also first violinist of the renowned Goldner String Quartet.

In this conversation, Simon Moore speaks with Dene about his long career after growing up in a household with two professional pianists. He also shares touching memories of his father, Max Olding, who passed away in late 2021.

Photo credit: Keith Saunders