Forbes Town Hall Concert - Songs of Love & Loss

Songs of love and loss

Proposal and associated Information

An exploration of romantic German song and poetry presented by rising opera stars; Jessica Harper, Blake Parham and accompanist Josephine Flores Tam. This recital explores the several variations of love and loss; beginning with the first moments of love’s confession, the kiss of hope, the sting of betrayal and the upheaval that follows.

Suggested Repertoire

Robert Schumann's Dichterleibe Op. 48 - Tenor

Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben Op. 42 - Soprano

Assorted arias and duets by W A Mozart

Approximate length of performance: 90 minutes (this is flexible however)

The above program is itself reasonably flexible at this point and we are more than able to tailor it to fit the audience. Additionally we would be happy to include a more interactive and discussion based section if this is of interest to the group.

Biographies

Josephine Flores Tam completed her Bachelor of Music and Honours in piano performance in 2008. She studies piano under the direction of Dr Gian-Franco Ricci and Mrs Ann O’Hearn, and voice under the direction of Dr Jennifer Barnes and International Australian Opera singer Ghillian Sullivan and Glenn Winslade. Currently Josie is a Masters student at the Sydney Conservatorium under the direction of Stephen Mould. Recently Josie worked as a répétiteur for Pacific Opera, and the Sydney Conservatorium’s Bernstein Mass, performed at the Sydney Opera House under the direction of Professor Eduardo Diazmunoz Gomez. Josie was also the accompanist in Master classes for Claudia Visca, Stephen Delany, Rowena Cowely, Narelle Yeo, Chuck Hudson, Amelia Farrugia, Cath Dadd, Ghillian Sullivan. As well as a pianist, she was the lead role “Kim” in Opera Hunter’s 2009 production “Miss Saigon”; “Fiammetta” in Newcastle Festival Opera’s 2010 “The Gondoliers”; Musical Director in Newcastle Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Double Bill”; “Christmas Eve” in Pantseat Production’s 2011 “Avenue Q”, in which Josie has earned as a Nominee for “Best Actress in a leading role in a Musical” in 2011 33^rd Conda Awards. Josie is a member of the Echology Choir since 2008, winner of Channel 7 “Battle of the Choirs” TV show. She has toured with the Choir to China for the “World Choir Games”. The University of Newcastle 100 Women Book, published in 2011, selected Josie Tam as one of the 100 successful women.

Jessica Harper is a freelance soprano based in Sydney. In 2015, Jess is performing in a number of concerts in regional NSW and SA. Her most recent success has been at the Cowra Eisteddfod where she placed in many sections, and won the Patricia Fagan Operatic Aria Championship. She was also recently broadcast on the radio as a Semi Finalist for the 2MBS Fine Music FM Young Virtuosi Award. She is delighted to be undertaking her second year as a Young Artist with Pacific Opera, and as an artist with Opera Prometheus. In 2014, Jess appeared as Denise in Sydney Independent Opera’s production of Offenbach’s Love by Lanternlight, the ‘Icecream Seller’ in Opera Prometheus’ production of Brundibar, and Tessa in Pacific Opera’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Godoliers: Dream Getaway. Jess was also a Semi-Finalist for the IFAC Australian Singing Competition, winning the Instituto Italiano Di Cultura Award. Jess holds a First Class Honours degree in Classical Singing from the Australian National University. Jess has been a guest performer with the Omega Ensemble and participated in many competitions throughout NSW over the last two years, placing in many sections in the Bathurst, Cowra and Wollongong Eisteddfodau.

Blake Parham is a young tenor and musicologist, already having performed and studied in Poland, Germany, France, Great Britain and throughout Australia. He is currently a music lecturer at the Avondale Conservatorium and is completing his PhD at the Sydney Conservatorium. Blake also holds a masters degree and a Bachelor of Music with Honours from the Elder Conservatorium, Adelaide University. Additionally in 2015 Blake was awarded a grant by the SA Youth Arts Board to study with internationally acclaimed baritone Peter Coleman Wright. Blake’s stage appearances include ‘Toby’ in a workshop of George Palmer’s Cloudstreet (SA State Opera), ‘Danciare’ in Carmen (EGO), ‘the Baker’ in Into the Woods (Elder Con), ‘Samuel’ in The Pirates of Penzance (G&S SA), and in the chorus of Moby Dick (SA State Opera). Blake has appeared in concerts with Recitals Australia, the University of St Andrews, Dundee Cathedral, Provence cote D’Azur, Barossa Vintage Festival, Polish Musicians Association, Opera by Candlelight (Canberra), Adelaide Philharmonia, the Corinthian Singers, Cantabile Singers, Avondale Conservatorium, Pacific Opera, OOTS, Adelaide Fringe Festival, and the Cantabile Singers. Over the past two years Blake has been both a Pacific Opera Young Artist and an ARS Scholar. Previously he was awarded the 2011/12 George Boland post-graduate Scholarship, was the winner of the 2014 5Mbs Young Virtuosi Award, and the Dundee Musicians Award (2012). As a musicologist Blake has also presented papers at a number of conferences in Europe and Australia and has published articles in Scotland, Lithuania and Poland.