The Phoenix Collective will showcase three different facets of Italy’s rich music tradition at a concert at Central Coast Conservatorium on August 17.
Featuring on the program will be Luigi Boccherini’s String Quartet op 30 no 4, Giuseppe Verd’s String Quartet and Giovanni Sollima’s Viaggio in Italia.
The concert begins the elegance of virtuoso cellist Boccherini’s early quartet, proceeding to Verdi’s glorious melodies and concluding with Giovanni Sollima’s nostalgic depictions of Italian life.
The rarely played Verdi string quartet was the only chamber work written by the composer, and its lush operatic style represents Verdi at the peak of his compositional prowess.
Extended cello techniques are the common element between the Boccherini and Sollima works, with each composer featuring the instrument in his own unique style.
Phoenix Collective is one of Australia’s most versatile and dynamic ensembles.
Formed in 2018, it rapidly became a fixture of the musical landscape with a series of concerts, touring Sydney, Canberra and the Central Coast.
Appearances include a Sydney Opera House debut at the Utzon Room this year and national touring for Musica Viva in Schools.
Phoenix’s innovative approach has seen the ensemble collaborate with artists in a variety of genres, including the late opera superstar Jacqui Dark, Katie Noonan and Tibetan traditional musician Tenzin Choegyal, with whom Phoenix performed at the National Folk Festival, National Multicultural Festival and Melbourne Recital Centre.
In 2023 the Collective performed for the Australia Awards with legendary didgeridoo player William Barton and First Nations opera singer Shauntai Sherree Abdul Rahman.
They also gave a presentation for TedX at Canberra Theatre – A Language Without Words – How Music Conveys Contrasting Emotions.
Phoenix Collective also champions new music, and have performed world premieres by Australian composers Sally Whitwell, Mace Francis, Ella Macens and rising star Emma Greenhill.
They have broadcast through Australian Digital Concert Hall, and produced their own digital content with the help of grants provided by the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australian Culture Fund.
Their sixth and seventh CDs will be released later this year.
With an ever-increasing recording and external workload, Phoenix Collective is one of Australia’s busiest string quartets.
Their schedule includes candlelight concerts for international company Fever, for whom they have performed many diverse programs from Beethoven and Mozart string quartets to Daft Punk, Taylor Swift and sold-out Studio Ghibli tributes.
This year will see them debut at Melbourne’s Tempo Rubato and continue their series of concerts for the vulnerable at Wayside Chapel under the auspices of Judith Neilson.
The concert will be held at 2pm on Sunday, August 17, in the Robert Knox hall at Central Coast Conservatorium.
Bookings and information: www.pcmusic.net
