Treasure islands from dynamic duo

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF MUSIC Joze Kotar and Luca Ferrini with the Hobart Wind Symphony Moonah Arts Centre March 10

THE intimate performance space of the Moonah Arts Centre provided the perfect setting for this wonderful meeting of the talents of Slovenian clarinettist Joze Kotar and Italian pianist Luca Ferrini, along with the Hobart Wind Symphony conducted by Simon Reade.

The opening set featured Kotar and Ferrini performing pieces by composers living on islands.

Fantasia, by Luigi Bassi of Sicily, opened the show, and the musicians demonstrated their impeccable technique while displaying warmth and emotion in their music. Communication and flow were evident in the duo’s playing, with a seamless blend of sound from the clarinet and piano.

Irish piece The Ice Melt, by C.S.L. Parker, was at once fragile and warm, and even evoked Bruce Springsteen’s

Meeting Across the River for this listener. A fun medley called Grooves by US composer Philip Parker gave the musicians an opportunity to feature the intricacies of their instruments.

The duo opened the second half of the concert with Pagina d’album, by Michele Mangani, an uplifting, flowing piece in a major key.

The beautiful Sonata, by Jaka Pucihar, told the story of a church on a lake in Kotar’s home country of Slovenia, before the audience was treated to Richard Meale’s Arabesque for solo trumpet, played by Reade.

This was followed by Tasmanian Don Kay’s Mathinna+ for two alto saxophones, a playful yet haunting piece deftly played by Benjamin Price and Thomas McKay.

The concert culminated in a brilliant performance of Neza Buh’s Magma, played by the Hobart Wind Symphony and featuring Kotar and Ferrini as soloists.

The ensemble enjoyed playing the piece as much as the audience enjoyed listening to it — so much so that, as an encore, the final section was played again.