|
Alison Morgan Soprano |
|
Jenny Duck-Chong Mezzo-soprano |
Artistic Directors
|
|
|
|
|
"radiant high soprano shining in the heavens…" English-born soprano Alison Morgan is one of Australia's foremost interpreters of contemporary vocal music. She has performed as a soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Ballet, Pinchgut Opera, The Song Company, Ensemble Offspring, Sydney Alpha Ensemble and Cantillation and has featured in numerous broadcasts and recordings. As an Artistic Director of acclaimed new music ensemble Halcyon, Alison has been instrumental in commissioning and performing a wealth of new Australian chamber music, most recently premiering the works of Australian composers Rosalind Page, John Peterson, Graham Hair, Andrew Robbie, Jane Stanley and Dan Walker. Notable solo performances include Harrison Birtwistle's Nine Settings of Celan and Rosalind Page's Sonetos del amor oscuro with Halcyon, Kaija Saariaho's Lohn and Damien Ricketson's A Line has Two with Ensemble Offspring and Sofia Gubaidalina's Now Always Snow with Cantillation and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Alison's modern international repertoire includes the vocal works of Birtwistle, Berio, Crumb, Harbison, Saariaho, Maconchy, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Tavener, Lutyens and Webern. In 2005 Alison sung the role of the singer in the play For the Love of Alma by playwright Wendy Beckett at The Studio and performed live for the silent movie Menschen am Sonntag at the Sydney Film Festival. With Halcyon she gave the world premiere of Rosalind Page's song cycle Hrafnsongvar and performed at the Nigel Butterley 70th Birthday Festival. This year she will continue to promote and perform new works with Halcyon, in Sydney and on tour, including commissions by Andrew Robbie, Guy Gross, Elliott Gyger and Graham Hair. |
“a lower register, dark and firm, while the top range glowed with palpability and presence… vivid, dramatic and powerful” Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning Herald Mezzo soprano Jenny Duck-Chong has established herself as a versatile and intelligent musician. She is sought after by Sydney's finest vocal ensembles and has performed extensively with Opera Australia, Pinchgut Opera, The Song Company and Cantillation. Equally comfortable as a soloist, she has worked with conductors such as Reinbert de Leeuw, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Christopher Hogwood and Jane Glover and ensembles as varied as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia and the Kevin Hunt Jazz Trio. Active in the field of new music, Jenny has worked with contemporary ensembles including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Alpha Ensemble and Ensemble Offspring. She has featured in numerous premiere performances including works by Boyd, Butterley, Edwards, Hair, Gyger, Page, Farr and Whitehead. Jenny is the co-founder and artistic director of Halcyon and with them has commissioned and premiered many Australian works and has also championed international works by Saariaho, Berkeley, Finnissy, Erkoreka, Beamish, Hui as well as many young composers. Highlights for 2006 include the premiere of a newly commissioned song cycle, No Ordinary Traveller, by Melbourne composer Katy Abbott with Halcyon, soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Sydney Philharmonia Choir, a concert with the Sydney Guitar Trio and touring, performing and recording with the Song Company as a guest artist for 2005-6. Her recordings credits include mezzo soloist on the ABC Classics recording of Fauré’s La Naissance de Venus, Teddy Tahu Rhodes CD The Voice and Pinchgut Opera's The Fairy Queen and Orfeo, several film scores including The Bank by Alan John, as well as numerous other recordings with Cantillation and Halcyon’s own live recordings.
|