Music fest in tune with city
The Australian Festival of Chamber Music is one of the city’s most anticipated events of the year. One of the musicians taking part in the festival, Phoebe Russell, shares her musical journey.
Notmuch fazes musician Phoebe Russell. She was only 17 when she left home to play with the Berlin Philharmoic.
“I was nervous but also so excited,” Phoebe tells NQ Weekend. “Since I was a young child I had pictured myself living overseas so I think I was fairly emotionally prepared for the move.”
She returned home after four years to join the Queensland Symphony Orchestra as principal double bassist.
Phoebe is headed to Townsville for her Australian Festival of Chamber Music debut.
Under the artistic directorship of Jack Liebeck, the chamber music festival will open this year with three powerful world premieres over the first three days, part of a stunning lineup of over 130 works in total, to be staged from July 29 to August 7 in Townsville.
“I am so looking forward to the whole festival as it is my first time taking part in it,” Phoebe says. “However, I’d say I’m most excited about Paul Dean’s new piece that I will be performing with members of the Ensemble Q.”
Phoebe is no stranger to performing outside of her now home town of Brisbane. She has performed alongside the best musicians in the world and to thousands of people.
“I feel constantly inspired by the people I have the good fortune to play with on a regular basis,” she admits. “Playing with incredible musicians is a constant motivation to continue bettering myself as a musician and a bass player. Of course, it sets a high standard – but I love a challenge.”
At just 26, she is considered one of the most exciting emerging double bassists on the planet, and yet three years ago, the Melbourne-born musician applied for, and accepted, the position of principal double bassist with Queensland Symphony Orchestra – 15,600km away from her newly adopted home of Berlin.
Phoebe didn’t only join Queensland Symphony Orchestra as principal double bassist; she also inherited an iconic and much revered instrument – the famous Lionhead Double Bass which has been in the orchestra since the 1950s.
She becomes the third generation Queensland Symphony Orchestra musician to play – and honour – this incredible instrument.
The famous Lionhead Double Bass is owned by the very generous and talented John Fardon, previous principal double bass at Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
He bought it in 1986 from a previous member of the Orchestra, Taras (Terry) Kostynuik when he retired. Taras was in the orchestra from the 1950s, and he bought the stunning instrument in Berlin in the 1940s.
Phoebe now plays this incredible instrument with pride, and the knowledge it is a heritage member of this orchestra.
Phoebe was only 8 when she started
learning the double bass in her school’s music program.
“I had wanted to play the harp and since they didn’t have one, the strings teacher convinced me the double bass was a similar choice. It’s not,” she explains.
“After winning a fiercely competitive arm wrestle with two boys in my class, I was awarded the double bass and I haven’t looked back since.”
Phoebe says she love everything about performing. “I actually often love to watch the audience while we perform,” she says.
“It intrigues me to see how each member of the audience connects with the music and how they experience the performance we are offering them.
“However, when I have too many notes to play, instead of watching the audience I enjoy the thrill of trying to catch all of the notes.”
Phoebe believes the most challenging aspect of the double bass as well as the most fun aspect of playing the bass is its size.
“Physically, it can be exhausting to play as well as cart around,” she says.
“However, it means we are an enthusiastic bunch of people who enjoy expressing ourselves physically with the instrument.
“When you play the bass, it’s almost like having a dance partner – we never feel alone.”
But the double bass is not the only passion in Phoebe’s life.
Outside of music, she has a newly found passion for gardening and long forest walks with my husband.
Phoebe is married to a fellow double bass player, Bernardo Alviz. The couple met by chance at Euston Station in London one day. They were both travelling to the same place and they both were carrying a double bass … and the rest, as they say, is history.
The couple, who have two cavalier King Charles spaniels, enjoy eating and drinking good food and wine.
Although the chamber’s artistic director
Jack Liebeck may be new to the role, he is certain of one thing: the festival is the music event the world needs this year.
The 31st festival boasts 32 events, 33 worldclass artists – including five international musicians and 28 Australian musicians – and three major new festival experiences, including Guilty Pleasures, AFCM Illuminates, and Festival Garden.
Jack says the Governor’s Gala concert on July 30 will deliver an epic world premiere music moment: 25 Australian composers were commissioned to write short variations on Beethoven’s iconic Ode to Joy to mark the 25th anniversary of the famous Goldner String Quartet; the work will be premiered by the Goldners at this event.
“Rounding out the trio of world firsts, Australian composer Paul Dean will unveil his premiere during the Sunday evening concert, aptly titled The 22’s,” Jacks says. “That’s not all for Paul Dean, he is also Composer-inResidence for the Festival and leads a strong Dean family presence at the AFCM.
“His niece, soprano Lotte Betts-dean as a guest artist will perform her father Brett Dean’s work, and his wife Trish Dean (cello) makes her AFCM debut.”
The artist line-up is led by internationally applauded didgeridoo star William Barton returning to the festival with his own compositions, and soprano and composer Deborah Cheetham, joined by Kirsty Mccahon (double bass), James Crabb (accordion), Lloyd Van’t Hoff (clarinet), Daniel de Borah (piano), Alice Giles (harp), Imants Larsens (viola), Natsuko Yoshimoto (violin), Kristian Chong (piano) and the Goldner String Quartet, among others.
Australian musicians heading north for the first time include Phoebe Russell (double bass), Alison Mitchell (flute), David Mitchell (bassoon), Jacob Enoka (percussion), Brigid Coleridge (violin, and now residing in Boston), Elina Faskhi (cello) and Emmanuel Cassimatis (oboe).
International musicians making their AFCM and Australian debut include Charlotte Bonneton (violin and viola) from France, Daniel Grimwood (piano) from the UK and the famed Turkish cellist Jamal Aliyev while Canadian violinist Corey Cerovsek makes his AFCM debut. Daniel Grimwood and Jamal Aliyev are ONLY performing at AFCM in Australia. Festival Host will be ABC Classic’s Damien Beaumont.
It intrigues me to see how each member of the audience connects with the music
The Australian Festival of Chamber Music will be held July 29 to August 7 in Townsville. Concert tickets, festival passes and holiday packages are on sale now at afcm.com.au