Monday, March 8 is International Women's Day and, thanks to La Fiesta, Winifred Livesay (soprano/piano) and Ingrid Culliford (flute/piano) are delighted to share an hour of beautiful music by some remarkable women composers. Just the Two of Us is the ensemble name that Win and Ingrid adopted several years ago when creating recital programmes for varying combinations of soprano, flute and piano.
Central to the programme that they have designed for this concert are songs by Clara Schumann, wife of the more famous Robert Schumann. 2019 was the bicentenary of Clara Schumann's birth and the many resulting concerts and celebrations of her life and music have helped highlight her wonderful talent. She was a remarkable pianist, renowned across Europe for her performances of Robert Schumann's music, as well as Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Liszt – the modern composers of the day!
Clara was also mother to eight children as well as carer and support to her husband who suffered from schizophrenia. Her composing career took second place to Robert's although he actively encouraged her to write. "Write a song," he told her… and so she did, each of many songs as a gift for Robert for either his birthday or Christmas. You will be able to hear some of these beautiful miniatures in the concert alongside short and varied works by Miriam Hyde, Madeleine Dring and Maria-Therese von Paradis.
Helen Fisher is a NZ composer who began composing late after raising her family. She is well known for her explorations into pre-European Māori music, but also draws on her Scottish heritage, which can be heard in the movement for flute and voice called At My Window - part of a song cycle The Wheel Turns set to poetry of Lauris Edmond. Two American composer/conductors also feature in the programme with short pieces for solo flute by Cuban born Odaline de la Martinez, and Victoria Bond. Martinez was the first woman ever to conduct an orchestra/ensemble in the BBC Henry Wood Proms, in 1984 and has since continued her international career in both conducting and composition.
The Details
What: Just the Two of Us — Winifred Livesay (soprano/piano) and Ingrid Culliford (flute/piano).
When: Monday, March 8, 7.30pm.
Where: Christ Church, Wicksteed St.
Tickets: Can be purchased in advance from the Royal Wanganui Opera House box office, or at the door (no eftpos). Adults $25, seniors and supporters $20, students $5.