GILES HENDERSON WANNAN, Chamber Music for Flute Viola & Harp
Black-and-white triptych portrait of three musicians, including a flute player and a string player holding an instrument, set against a gold-toned background with soft, smoky abstract patterns.
Harpist Alice Giles, flautist Jonathan Henderson and violist James Wannan join forces to present a programme centred around French music and contemporary living composers. Together, these three artists bring extensive international experience as soloists, chamber musicians and orchestral performers.
The sonority of the flute, drawn from the human breath, the sombre timbre of the viola’s bow across its strings, and the resonant vibrations of the harp combine to create a unique sound world that is both fragile and richly expressive.
French influence lies at the heart of the programme, whether directly through Debussy’s visionary Sonata and his evocative Syrinx, Fauré’s luminous Impromptu, or more distantly through the impressionistic language underlying Bax's deeply expressive Elegiac Trio. Alongside these works are two contemporary voices: the French composer Bruno Mantovani and Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin.
As the concert unfolds, each musician breaks away as a soloist, giving audiences the opportunity to revel in the individual artistry of the performers. Just as the composer moulds silence between phrases to become as expressive as melody itself, the performers draw out the essence of the music, painting sounds upon a canvas with their instruments – each note tracing the air like incense.
Thanks to the close proximity of audience and performers, every expressive nuance feels personal, each phrase so vivid it seems almost within reach. The music becomes an intimate language, with remarkable ability to activate the imagination, recall our faintest memories and enliven our senses.
To attend a Contra Concert permits you an hour to switch off, recharge and disconnect from deadline mode. We invite you to rebel against your smartphone and dare to get nothing done! Sit back, let your mind wander and share in the rare exchange of music between performers and audience, only achievable in the intimacy of the chamber music salon.
The Concert Hall bar will be open from 6.30pm, one hour before the performance. We invite you to arrive early, enjoy a drink and settle into the evening before the music begins.
Program
- Arnold Bax - Elegiac Trio for flute, viola and harp
- Claude Debussy - Syrinx for solo flute
- Gabriel Fauré - Impromptu for solo harp
- Elena Kats-Chernin - Winter from Seasons for flute, viola and harp
- Bruno Mantovani - Little Italy for solo viola
- Claude Debussy - Sonata for flute, viola and harp
Event Information
- Date: This Live Performance event will be held on Friday 2 October 2026 from 7:30pm - 8:40pm
- Location: Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, Cnr Laman St & Auckland St, Newcastle NSW 2300
- Room: Harold Lobb Concert Hall
- Campus: Newcastle (City)
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.