On 5 August, the Melbourne International Piano and Strings Festival (MIPSF) Gala Concert will return with another tour de force line-up of artists, featuring maestros Trio Anima Mundi (Kenji Fujimura, Rochelle Ughetti, Noella Yan), Elizabeth Sellars (violin), and Lisa Grosman (viola). This much-anticipated concert will also feature top rising stars from the festival competition – an exciting platform for young performers to showcase their talent.
The best place to hear classical music
In the past two years, the MIPSF Gala Concert was booked out within a week of ticket release. This year, to meet popular demand, we are moving to the beautiful Elisabeth Murdoch Hall at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Voted the best venue for chamber music in Australia, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall has been specifically designed to provide acoustic clarity and intimacy across the 1000-seat auditorium.
Our Festival Teaching Artists in Concert
Prepare to be mesmerised at this year’s Gala Concert by the “vitality, charm and aplomb” of International Academy of Musical Art’s Ensemble-in-Residence – Trio Anima Mundi. This international award-winning trio has gained a worldwide reputation for their sumptuous sonorities, immaculate ensemble, and masterly interpretation.
Recordings of the trio’s performances are regularly broadcast around the world and the trio is also frequently invited to perform in festivals and teach masterclasses, including a recent concert tour to China.
We are excited that all three of Trio Anima Mundi’s members – Dr Kenji Fujimura (piano), Rochelle Ughetti (violin), and Noella Yan (cello) – will also be part of the teaching faculty/adjudication panel at the Melbourne International Piano and Strings Festival this year.
Dr Elizabeth Sellars, Head of Strings at the International Academy of Musical Arts, will also be performing at the 2019 Gala Concert. Dr Sellars is a multi-award-winning violinist and has performed throughout Europe, the USA, Mongolia and Australia. She has been described as “one of the few violinists…who can handle works that move in new directions – intellectually difficult material…with level headed assurance’ (The Age).
This year’s Gala Concert will also feature Lisa Grosman – internationally acclaimed violist. She recently returned to live in Australia after 15 years as a member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra. During this time Grosman toured extensively throughout Europe, America and Asia, and performed at numerous chamber music festivals in Ireland, the UK, Germany and Italy.
Since returning to Australia, Lisa has been Guest Principal Viola of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
Our Rising Stars
Like past years, the Gala Concert will also feature top participants from the Melbourne International Piano and Strings Festival. As described by 2018 festival participant, Yii Ying Tan,“I was also lucky enough to perform in the Gala Concert - it was such a rare opportunity to perform in front of such a supportive audience, and not to mention it was full house…!”
Will you be our next MIPSF Rising Star?
It’s not too late to participate in this year’s Melbourne International Piano and Strings Festival Competition and secure your chance to share the stage with the maestros at the amazing Elisabeth Murdoch Hall! Applications for this year’s festival are closing very soon so to apply now head to:
https://www.iamusica.org/mipsf19-local (Local Students)
https://www.iamusica.org/mipsf19-senior-intermediate-academy (International Students)
Apply now for your chance to become our next rising star!
