Entertainment
9 April, 2024
Pianist comes home to play
EAGER to give back to her hometown, Melbourne-based Mossman pianist Alex Byrne is returning this April for an unforgettable piano recital dedicated to the community that supported her.
On Sunday, April 21, from 3pm the Mossman Shire Hall will be hosting one of its musical alumnas, pianist Alex Byrne, accompanied by tenor Ben Glover for a one-time concert, ‘By the River’, a recital of art songs by Henri Duparc and Benjamin Bitten, to celebrate and honour the hometown that inspired her music journey.
Ms Byrne said this was her way to say thank you to the community that saw her grow into a musician.
“I grew up in Mossman and I was part of the high school band program which was quite significant for such a small town and in 2011 I moved to Brisbane to do my undergraduate at the Queensland Conservatorium and in 2019 I came to Melbourne for a master’s at the Melbourne Conservatorium,” she said.
“Mossman holds a place in my heart that will always be very dear to me and I am humbled to be returning to my hometown and celebrating their contribution to my own personal and professional growth as a pianist.
“So I’m really excited to hold this recital because it’s my first time in 13 years since I’ve been back and Mossman is a really important place to me, it’s where I grew up, when I had my first encounter with music and I always felt very supported by the community.”
By the River promises to be an afternoon of musical storytelling, with Ms Byrne and Melbourne tenor Ben Glover performing songs by the French romantic composer Henri Duparc and 20th century English composer Benjamin Bitten, with eight Duparc songs that reflect his tumultuous life and they will also delve into Bitten’s work, particularly his influential song cycle Winter Words.
“By The River’ will explore repertoire from the classical music canon, featuring songs by Henri Duparc and Benjamin Britten. The songs are defined by their masterful evocation of settings through sonic soundscapes, and their sharp interplay between text and music, investigating themes of love, nature and belonging,” Ms Byrne said.
“I’m really excited to bring this recital to the community that fostered and nurtured me as a young musician and I hope not only to give back to the community but to inspire other young musicians.”
Tickets available from eventbrite: https://bit.ly/3vBZPUn
