Conservatorium of Music Duo Praised

Conservatorium of Music Duo Praised for World Premiere Performance

The Tennant-Austin duo, comprising James Tennant (cello) and Katherine Austin (piano), performed the world premiere of leading composer John Psathas’ Halo at the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday 14 February. Both Tennant and Austin lead instrumental programmes in the University of Waikato’s Conservatorium of Music.

Halo was commissioned for the duo from Psathas by longstanding supporters of the Conservatorium, Ian Graham and Agi Léhar-Graham. The piece also continues the long musical relationship between the composer and these performers. Psathas has written numerous works for Tennant and Austin as members of various ensembles over the past 20 years.

Psathas has achieved significant levels of international success and is widely considered one of the most important living composers of the Greek diaspora. Tennant and Austin felt privileged to premiere Halo at the Auckland Town Hall, in a concert sponsored by the Stringed Instrument Company.

Austin said, “this is an important piece of New Zealand chamber music and we wanted to give it the launch it deserved”, while Tennant admitted Halo “moved them in ways as performers that they couldn’t have imagined.”

This was a view shared by preeminent New Zealand critic William Dart. Dart praised the duo in his New Zealand Herald review for their “distinctive and authoritative voice” and ability to “fearlessly tackle” the power of the new work.

The Tennant-Austin duo also performed Beethoven’s Cello sonata in C major, Samuel Barber’s Cello sonata and, for a Valentine’s Day treat, Schumann’s Fantasy Pieces. These musical morsels of love were the first works Tennant and Austin performed together 21 years ago, and each received mention in Dart’s review.

The duo will now turn their focus to performances in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Italy later in the year, as well as performances as the New Zealand Chamber Soloists piano trio with fellow Conservatorium violin lecturer Lara Hall.

ENDS

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