NextSunday 17 March, 3:00pm
Mahler: Symphony no. 2
The Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra performs Gustav Mahler’s colossal Symphony no. 2, the ‘Resurrection’. Conducted by KPO’s Artistic Director, Paul Terracini, the concert will also feature the Willoughby Symphony Choir, and soloists from Opera Australia, Imogen-Faith Malfitano, and Celeste Haworth. Mahler composed his second symphony between 1888 and 1894. It was one of his most popular works during his lifetime and for many decades has been widely performed throughout the world.
Mahler 2 is the second of his so-called wunderhorn symphonies due to the inspiration he derived, directly and indirectly, from Das Knaben Wunderhorn, the collection of German language poetry that exerted considerable influence on Austrian and German artists in the late 19th century. As the title suggests, the second symphony’s central theme is life and death, in particular, life after death. The first movement was originally a tone poem named 'Totenfeier' (Funeral Rites), written in 1888. Five years later Mahler composed the second and third movements of what was by then destined to be a large-scale symphony. The fourth movement, featuring contralto soloist, employs a wunderhorn text concerning the struggle for faith. For the fifth, and last, movement, which adds soprano soloist and mixed chorus, he found inspiration in the poem, 'Die Auferstehung' (The Resurrection), by Friederich Klopstock that he heard at the funeral of Hans von Bülow. Mahler then added some text of his own to complete the work.
This performance of one of the most acclaimed symphonies ever written is not to be missed.
Paul Terracini
Dr Paul Terracini was born in Sydney and has enjoyed a career in Australia and internationally as an instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and conductor. He has held permanent positions as Principal Trumpet in the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra; Lecturer in Trumpet, Brass Ensemble and Big Band at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music; and Solo Trumpet in the Danish Chamber Players, Denmark.
As an instrumentalist, he performed as soloist in Australia, Europe, USA, and Asia. Within Australia, his solo performances included concertos with the Melbourne, Queensland, West Australian, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.
Paul Terracini has appeared as an opera conductor at the German Rossini Festival in Bad Wilbad, for the Danish Bel Canto Society in Copenhagen, and the Storstroms Symphony Orchestra, also in Denmark. Since assuming the role of artistic director of the Penrith Symphony Orchestra in 2010, he has, apart from programming and conducting the symphonic repertoire, pioneered the performance of chamber opera in western Sydney. For many years he has been invited as a guest conductor/composer to music schools and universities in Europe, USA, China, and Australia. He appears regularly as conductor for the Conservatorium High School, in Sydney. As a choral conductor, he has recorded for ABC Classics with Ars Nova Copenhagen, and the Sydney based choir, Cantillation.
As a composer and arranger, his music has been heard throughout the world in a variety of genres, performed by, amongst others, the Prague Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass, the Danish Chamber Players, the Australian Brass Quintet, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Brass, and at festivals and conferences on every continent. His music for the two part ABC television series, Hymns of the Forefathers, in which he developed many of the traditional English hymns into symphonic poems, received international acclaim and was released on CD and DVD by ABC Classics. His title music for the television series, Classical Destinations, which was produced for three seasons, was featured on the ‘Number 1 Classical Album of the Year,’ released by Decca.
His CD, Paul Terracini: Music for Brass, was released on the Tall Poppies label in May 2015. On this recording, he conducted his own music with Sydney Brass, featuring members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Paul Terracini also holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, having earlier completed a Bachelor of Theology and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours). His book, John Stoward Moyes and the Social Gospel, was published in 2015.
Imogen-Faith Malfitano
Soprano Imogen-Faith Malfitano completed her Bachelor of music (performance) and Masters in Music Studies (Opera Performance) at The Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Here, she was awarded multiple awards, including the Patricia Lucas Music Scholarship and an Internship with Opera Australia. During her studies, Imogen had the honour of performing both solo and chamber works in the inaugural ESTIVO summer school program in concerts throughout Verona and Mantova.
Imogen is currently a Young Artist with Opera Australia and has performed for their Great Opera Hits Concerts at the Sydney Opera House. In 2022, Imogen performed the role of Angelina in their NSW schools tour Cinderella, following her roles as Rosina/Donna Bartola and Donna Basilia in The Barber of Seville and the Queen of Hearts/Mary Contrary/The spider and Agatha The Cat in By the Light of the Moon. Recently performing in the Opera Ensemble for Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour’s dazzling new production of The Phantom of the Opera, Imogen was thrilled to return to the phantom stage for Cameron Mackintosh’s new touring production of The Phantom of the Opera.
Notable credits include; Finalist for the Prestigious Herald Sun Aria competition, receiving the special Dame Elisabeth Murdoch prize, Finalist for the Sydney Eisteddfod Opera Scholarship, Finalist for Opera Foundation’s Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship, Joan Sutherland Memorial Award winner, Fine Music Young Virtuosi Award winner, Semi-Finalist for the prestigious IFAC Handa, Australian Singing Competition; receiving the Instituto Italiano di Cultura prize and Winner of the Patricia Fagan Operatic aria championship.
In 2018, Imogen was thrilled to make her International debut performing the role of Adina in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore as part of the Mediterranean Opera Studio and Festival. During this time, she was fortunate to work with coaches such as Nelly Miricioiu, Jonathan Santagada, Steven Maughan and David Gowland and be selected as a Young Artist for Pacific Opera. Imogen has also participated in a number of Masterclasses with renowned coaches including Richard Bonynge, Anthony Legge, Lella Cuberli, and Fabio Centanni.
Opera highlights include; Susannah (Floyd: Susannah), Titania (Purcell: The Fairy Queen), Mme Silberklang (Mozart: Der Schauspieldirektor), Miss Tylney Long (Williamson: English Eccentrics) and soloist (Bernstein: Mass) Sydney Opera House. Imogen has been a soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, broadcast for Fine Music 102.5 and Fine Music 3MBS Melbourne (2021) a featured soloist for the Sydney Mozart Society and His Excellency General, the Honourable David Hurley, AC DSC, the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK CVO MC, the Honourable Michael Kirby, AC CMG, the Honourable John Howard, OM AC SSI, the Honourable Tony Abbott, AC, Official Secretary to the Governor, Col Michael Miller RFD and Queens Gala Dinner and Platinum Jubilee with other distinguished guests. Imogen is delighted to be performing the Verdi Requiem with Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic orchestra.
Celeste Haworth
Celeste has performed many roles as a principal artist in Europe, Australia and Asia, including for Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden 2015-2018: Emilia (Otello, Verdi), Meg Page (Falstaff, Verdi), 3rd Maid (Elektra, Strauss), Kate Pinkerton and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly, Puccini),Innkeeper (Boris Godunov, Mussorgsky), Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro, Mozart), and notably as Charlotte in Zimmerman’s challenging Die Soldaten.
An artist with Opera Australia since 2019, performances include Flora in La Traviata on Sydney Harbour, Mercedes in Opera Australia’s National 2020 Tour of Carmen, OA’s Great Opera Hits Concert Series, and her reprisal of Flora in 2022 in Sydney and Melbourne.
Other soloist appearances include the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Early Music Ensemble, the Deutsches Kammerorchester, the Frankfurter Philharmoniker, Residenzorchester Wien, Sydney Sinfonietta.
Willoughby Symphony Choir
In 1963 some sixty singers from local Methodist churches banded together to form the Northside Choral Society, and the first concert for the choir in August of that year was a broadcast performance on 2CH of Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise. With the foundation of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra in 1965 a natural partnership was born. The Choir’s name change reflected that, becoming the Willoughby Symphony Choir in 1973. Although the choir and orchestra remain independent entities, they are inextricably linked through their proud history of collaboration and indeed both exist under the auspices of the City of Willoughby. For many years resident in the old Chatswood Civic Centre, the home venue for both ensembles is now the world-class Concourse Theatre, one of Australia’s finest concert halls.
Willoughby Symphony Choir is now widely recognised as the one of Australia's finest community choirs. The schedule of upwards of eight concerts a year reflects the choir’s dual role as a performing ensemble in its own right, and as the symphonic chorus for the WSO.
Willoughby Symphony Choir also performs at community functions such as the Willoughby Spring Festival and Carols in the Park, as well as maintaining links with rural areas of NSW such as Orange and Bathurst. The Choir has performed regularly in popular music concerts at the Sydney Opera House and in 2008 conducted a successful tour of Europe.
Drawing from a singing membership of 130, every year sees the choir perform the major choral masterworks, as well as occasional forays into surprising pop and jazz repertoire. The choir also makes regular recordings and broadcasts.