Wagner Society events held in 2013

The Bicentenary of Wagner’s birth

9 – 10 February Willoughby Uniting Church Conference Centre	9am Saturday and 12.30pm Sunday: Forging Meaning out of Music: Heritage, Complexity and Vision of the Ring – a workshop by Dr Antony Ernst, introduced by Lyndon Terracini, Artistic Director of Opera Australia Notice Program
10 March Goethe Institut	2pm: An introduction to a new work commissioned by the Wagner Society in NSW, celebrating the bicentenary of Richard Wagner’s birth: Presentation by Louis Garrick & Jack Symonds of Sydney Chamber Opera on their forthcoming opera Climbing towards Midnight, based on the relationship between Parsifal and Kundry. [Opening night: 15 April, Parade Theatre of NIDA] Trailer
17 March Mosman Art Gallery	*2pm: Faeries and Vampyres: Concert by Bradley Cooper [Opera Australia], Sarah-Ann Walker [Opera Australia & a recipient of Wagner Society funding] & Luke Stoker, with pianist Bradley Gilchrist* Amended program
14 April Goethe Institut	*2pm: Wagner and Psychological Motivation in the Ring* by Dr David Schwartz [composer, countertenor & specialist on Yiddish theatre]**
15 April Parade Theatre of NIDA	Theatre party for Climbing towards Midnight.
22 May Sydney Conservatorium of Music Royal Automobile Club	– 2013 Special event: Wagnerlicht Exhibition opening by Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO. Conceived and curated by Wagner Society Committee member Mike Day, and a part of Sydney’s 2013 Vivid Festival, Wagnerlicht was a multimedia interactive installation – inspired by Der Ring des Nibelungen – to celebrate the bicentenary of Wagner’s birth. Short videos: Intro Opening night Four Elements Wagner Lit Link Wagner Underworld film – 7.15pm for 7.30pm: Wagner 200th Birthday dinner Wagner 200th Birthday dinner menu – Program by soprano Emily Edwards and pianist Bradley Gilchrist: Schubert: An Die Musik Berg: Nacht from Seven Early Songs Berg: Nachtigall from Seven Early Songs Wagner: Träume Lehar: Lippen Schweigen from The Merry Widow – Birthday cake cut by Honoured guest and Society member Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO
26 May Goethe Institut	2pm: – Annual General Meeting – Concert by coloratura soprano Qesta Macqueeney & pianist Bradley Gilchrist: Brauenfels – Die Voegel (The Birds – overture; based on Aristophanes play) Strauss, Richard – Amor (Love) Strauss, Richard – Ich Schwebe (I am floating) Wagner, Richard – Les Adieux de Marie Stuart (The farewells of Marie Stuart – written as an add-on aria for Donizetti’s opera, Maria Stuarda) Strauss, Richard – Zerbinetta’s aria from Ariadne auf Naxos
30 June Goethe Institut	2pm: Tony Legge [OA’s Assistant Music Director] on His Bayreuth career
14 July Willoughby Uniting Church Conference Centre	9.30am – 5pm: Riding the Storm: Seminar on The Flying Dutchman by Dr David Larkin, with Professor Benedict Anderson, Dr Colleen Chesterman and Anthony Pasquill; and singers Eugene Raggio [who sang the Dutchman’s first aria “Die Frist ist um…”], and Emilie Lemasson [who sang Senta’s Ballad]. Program
11 August Goethe Institut	*2pm: Preparing for Major Wagnerian Roles, by Lisa Gasteen [Professor of Opera at Queensland Conservatorium]*
25 August Mosman Art Gallery	*2pm: Swords and Winterstorms, A concert of Arias and Lieder by Wagner, Strauss & Mahler* by David Corcoran and Amanda Windred, & pianist Bradley Gilchrist Program**
8 September Goethe Institut	*2pm: Neil Armfield’s Ring Adventure –* Director of Opera Australia’s 2013 Ring Cycle in Melbourne**
6 October Goethe Institut	*2pm: Singing Wagner* by Susan Bullock, Melbourne’s Brünnhilde, and Richard Berkeley-Steele, Melbourne’s Loge**
November/ December	Because of the Melbourne Ring, the Society did not hold any functions.