I’m joined by some extraordinarily talented musicians and performing artists…
BEN WARD
Double Bass
Benjamin Ward is a musician working mainly on the lands of the Gadigal and Bidjigal lands whose practice has recently focussed on altered tunings, texture and improvisation. Outside of his work on the double bass with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (he’s a member of their fabulous bass section) he is inspired by the wonderful community of musicians in Sydney and New South Wales. Recent appearances include the Canberra International Music Festival; the New Mountain Festival with visual artists Peachy and Mosig; and an East Coast tour of the show Xanadu Sky with Ensemble Offspring.
MORE INFO
DUO AGOSTINO
Guitarists
Raffaele and Janet Agostino have been active in the Sydney Classical Guitar scene over the last four decades, beginning with the founding of the Sydney Guitar Quartet in 1981, a group that performed extensively for a period of over 10 years and was the first ensemble of its kind in Australia. In 1996, they formed the Sydney Guitar Trio with fellow guitarist and composer Richard Charlton. The Trio has featured at five Darwin International Guitar festivals, Taranaki NZ Guitar Summer School, and the Adelaide International Guitar Festival. Raffaele, Janet and Richard have been the driving force behind the Classical Guitar Society’s annual Summer School for the past 25 years.
Raffaele and Janet share a strong interest in the development of the guitar as an ensemble instrument and as Duo Agostino they have taught and performed in Argentina, Italy, the UK, Vietnam, New Zealand and the USA. In 2022, Janet was awarded a PhD from UNSW, researching the transcription process for guitar ensembles.
Raffaele and Janet each hold a Fellowship from the Trinity College of London and have been awarded Life Membership of the Classical Guitar Society, Sydney, for ‘Significant and Sustained Contribution’. They play guitars by Australian luthier Greg Smallman and Sons and baritone guitar (2019) by Graham Caldersmith.
MORE INFO
BEN SIBSON
Composer & Percussionist
Since graduating with honours in composition from the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music in 1997, Ben Sibson has been working as a freelance composer and percussionist on a variety of projects and in many genres.
Originally trained as a pianist, he switched to percussion at 21 when he joined the Army Reserve Band in Tasmania. Since then, Ben has spent many years as a kit drummer, percussionist, keyboardist, vocalist, conductor and musical director, spanning many genres. He has performed at venues and festivals throughout Australia and Asia, including Womadelaide, Port Fairy, Apollo Bay and Bellingen folk festivals, the festival of Island Cultures in Cheju, Korea and a tour of Singapore. He was also the producer and editor for Rachel’s latest recordings Little Birds, Dreaming with Daisy, Consonance and the 2022 release Mosaic.
GENEVIEVE LANG
Harp
Genevieve Lang has performed regularly as a section and guest principal harpist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She has also enjoyed a long association with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
Genevieve is a founding member of SHE (Seven Harp Ensemble), a group directed by harpist Alice Giles, which is active in commissioning and performing new Australian music. As a soloist she has performed with the Tasmanian, West Australian and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras.
Genevieve has presented courses in chamber music appreciation at the University of Sydney’s Centre for Continuing Education and tutored the Australian Youth Orchestra’s music journalism course, Words About Music.
She has undertaken traineeships in artistic administration and music presentation, which gave her the opportunity to work with a number of Australian orchestras and with ABC Radio. Since then, she has worked with Gondwana Choirs, the Australian Youth Orchestra, and Pinchgut Opera. Genevieve regularly delivers pre-concert talks for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and has edited various publications for the SSO for the last 10 years. Her voice is very familiar to us all being one of the much-loved presenters on ABC Classic!
MORE INFO
ANTHONY SCHULZ
Piano Accordion
Anthony Schulz has dedicated his life to the exploration of the accordion by showcasing its capacity for versatility and refinement. With a career spanning several decades, Anthony continues to connect the past, present and future of the instrument and shape the perception of the instrument on the Australian musical landscape.
A seasoned performer, Anthony has graced the stage with numerous highly acclaimed ensembles and projects. His musical vision extends across various genres, including chamber music, original compositions, world music ensembles, and improvisation. Through these diverse influences, Anthony has tirelessly presented a distinctive and nuanced impression of the accordion, challenging preconceived notions and expanding its artistic boundaries.
On the national and international stage, Anthony continues to captivate audiences through his performances with renowned ensembles. Notable collaborations include his work with the ARIA award-winning ensemble Zulya and the Children of the Underground, the contemporary new music ensemble Ball Hanlon Schulz, and the French musette quartet Langue de Chat.
Anthony Schulz holds a Bachelor of Music from the Victorian College of the Arts, a Master of Music from Melbourne University, and a Graduate Diploma of Education from Melbourne University.
MORE INFO
DAVID PEREIRA
Cellist
David Pereira is one of Australia’s most accomplished musicians. His career has allowed him to be principal cellist of both the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and of the Australia Ensemble. David has enjoyed an uncommonly versatile professional musical experience that has included concerto performances with major and minor orchestras and conductors, recital, chamber, festival, guest leading, premiering of new works, visiting artist teaching, artistic direction, conducting, concert series presentation, pedagogical writing and filming, improvising and composing.
Rachel and David have recorded a CD of music for two cellos in January, 2016. A recent review from Limelight said “Dreaming with Daisy has the feel of a celebration, of untempered, free and loose-limbed music-making, where lines are shaped with boldness… apt for music-making of immediacy and intimacy.”
MORE INFO
MAGGIE MACKELLAR
Author and Spoken Word
Maggie MacKellar is a writer and farmer living on a Merino wool farm on the east coast of Tasmania. Her work has been published in Island, Best Australian Essays, Sydney Review of Books and The Saturday Paper. She has a beloved weekly Substack newsletter, The Sit Spot. Maggie and Rchel will present a concert waeving Bach and her writing…
About Maggie’s new book “Graft” – Maggie MacKellar describes a year on a Merino wool farm on the east coast of Tasmania, and all of life – and death – that surrounds her through the cycle of lambing seasons. She gives us the land she knows and loves, the lambs she cares for, the ewes she tries to save, the birds around her, and the dogs and horses she adores. Graft is a stunning thanksgiving for a place and a moment in motherhood; and a timely reminder of the inescapable elemental laws of nature.
MORE INFO
LEE DIONNE
Pianist
Described as “impressive” (NYTimes), “impeccable” (Fanfare Magazine), and “entrancing” (BBC Music Magazine), American pianist Lee Dionne leads a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, arranger, and artistic director.
For six years Lee toured the US and internationally as the founding pianist of the Merz Trio (2017-2023), recipients of the prestigious Naumburg Award in Chamber Music.
In 2023, Lee moved to Australia, where he reimagined much of his professional life. Since then he has been presented as a soloist and chamber musician by such organisations as Piano+, the Sydney Writers’ Festival, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. At the same time he joined flautist Rosie Gallagher in founding Hayes Street Studio, an international centre for chamber music. The studio presents around thirty concerts of chamber music annually, featuring a roster of leading Australian and international musicians.
Lee’s commitment to classical music education in Australia has been manifest in his regular pre-concert talks for Musica Viva and in his role as adjudicator at Sydney Eisteddfods. In the second half of 2025, Lee will join the faculty of the Sydney Conservatorium as a guest lecturer.
MORE INFO
ROSIE GALLAGHER
Flute
A deeply passionate and imaginative performer, Rosie Gallagher enjoys a varied life as a musician around the world. Born in Sydney Australia, she received a Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School, New York, and a Masters of Music from the Royal Academy of Music in London. She has performed with groups that include the 21c Festival of Contemporary Music, Yellowbarn Music Festival, Heartbeat Opera, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and Ensemble Connect – a two year fellowship program of Carnegie Hall and the Weill Music Institute that combines artistic excellence with social engagement training.