Excited to perform their Sydney debut, Contra Guitar Duo is performing at the Church in Alexandria to celebrate the release of their self titled EP. The duo of Emma-Shay and Hamish have recently returned to their hometown of Brisbane after living and performing across Europe.
The concert is a celebration of the guitar and its diversity and reflects the duo’s unique personality and musical inspirations. Having met at their University auditions in 2011, the pair have traveled the world together, sharing their infectious love for the classical guitar. Their Sydney concert features a premiere Maria Grenfell’s Di Primavera reworked for guitar duo alongside exciting contemporary Australian repertoire, European classical music and a thrilling work from Clarice Assad inspired by the rich traditions of Brazilian folk and classical music.
PROGRAM
Our program is a reflection of who we are as musicians and what inspires us. The concert opens with a set of Schubert inspired works by Johann Kaspar Mertz and continues with a beautiful minimalist work by the late Australian composer Phillip Houghton, before bringing the first half to a close with a new arrangement for two guitars of Australian composer Maria Grenfell's Di Primavera.
The second half of the concert opens with the juxtaposition of two pieces by Ross Edwards, a lullaby Emily’s Song and the lively and joyous Djanaba. We then play an interesting arrangement of a solo guitar work, Tansman’s Variations on a theme of Scriabin; here the audience gets to enjoy Tansman’s work in greater depth and colour, providing a new listening experience of a much loved work in the guitar repertoire. Finally the concert closes with a celebration of Brazilian music by Clarice Assad, with her three movement Brasileirinhas. The work explores many elements of traditional Brazilian music and is an exciting virtuosic conclusion.