In Conversation – Details, episodes & analysis

A composer who Australian Stage has dubbed “the most interesting voice in Australian composition for many years”, Harry Sdraulig has risen to prominence through a string of collaborations with renowned artists and organisations. He’s composed for The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Musica Viva, the Australia Ensemble, as well as the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Tasmanian, and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, and has also been commissioned by cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Harry shares some great insights and perspectives on the life a composer, and he introduces some of the compositions which have featured at key points of his career.

Harry Sdraulig's new work, Triptych, is performed by the Omega Ensemble as part of their Concertante tour, 1-5 October in Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle.

“The complete package!” is how Tim Draxl has been described for his performance as Joe Gillis in Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s musical Sunset Boulevard, currently playing at the Sydney Opera House. That part is just the latest in a long line of Tim’s roles in his 20-plus year career which has garnered him nominations for AACTAs, Logies, and a Helpmann Award. On stage he has appeared in musicals such as Jagged Little Pill, Into the Woods and Catch Me If You Can. He is a familiar face on TV, most particularly for his long running role in A Place to Call Home, and more recently the ABC series about the Australian response to the AIDS crisis, In Our Blood. His films include Swimming Upstream and Blacklight among many others. He’s also no stranger to cabaret, and has released four albums.

Tim takes us through his career from budding cabaret performer, through his time in Hollywood and to his most recent roles. He candidly shares the story of coming out publicly, his embrace of which has led him to be a part of several ground-breaking productions and being an inspiration for many LGTBQIA+ Australians, young and old.

Tim Draxl plays Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard in the Joan Sutherland Theatre of the Sydney Opera House until 1 November.

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, undoubtedly ranks as one of the world’s best-known choral groups. Founded in the 15th Century, the choir’s main function is to sing in the daily services in King’s College Chapel, but it has long since spread its wings far broader than that, generating worldwide fame through a wealth of recordings and an extensive international tour schedule.

Daniel Hyde has been Musical Director since 2019. His distinguished career as an organist and choral conductor includes roles at Jesus College, Cambridge, at Magdalen College, Oxford, and most recently at Saint Thomas Church in New York. Daniel talks about the long history and significance of the choir, and how he came to be inspired by this timeless musical tradition.

The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, tours Australia thanks to Musica Viva, from 21 July to 5 August.

For Eric Whitacre, everything seems possible. The music of this Grammy-award winning composer and conductor has been performed in all corners of the world. He has united 100,000 singers in more than 145 countries for his ground breaking Virtual Choirs, his debut album as a conductor, Light and Gold, went straight to the top of the charts, and he’s even collaborated with NASA – his composition Deep Field having been inspired by the Hubble Telescope, leading him to work on a film seen at arts and science festivals across the globe.

In this conversation, Eric talks about The Sacred Veil, which he is coming to Australia to conduct with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs at the Sydney Opera House. We also hear insights about his composing and his unorthodox entry into the classical genre, the Virtual Choirs projects, his public speaking, plus he eloquently introduces a diverse selection of pieces which have inspired him over the years.

Photo: Marc Royce

A violinist who has performed on every continent, Adelaide-born Daniel Dodds is the Artistic Director of Festival Strings Lucerne. He’ll be back in Australia  to appear as Concertmaster of the Australian World Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta, for performances in Melbourne and Sydney. It is said he elicits “joie de vivre” from fellow musicians and audiences alike, which is apparent in the positivity he expresses about his playing and the repertoire he’s chosen to share with us in this conversation, which includes several private recordings of his past performances.

An actor whose career on the stage, film and television is approaching half a century and still going strong, Simon Burke burst onto the scene in the highly acclaimed Devil’s Playground at the age of 13. He won the AFI Award for Best Actor for that performance – still to this day the youngest person to receive that honour. His career since has included appearances on television which are embedded in the Australian psyche – from The Sullivans through to Rake and everything in between, including the remarkable Brides of Christ, and of course Play School. He has a long list of stage credits here and overseas, in both straight and musical theatre – as Marius in the original Australian run of Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera on the West End, and other musical theatre mainstays such as The Sound of Music and A Little Night Music. He’s currently in what could be regarded as the hottest show in town, appearing as Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, playing now at the Capitol Theatre.

Hayden Tee is not just a triple threat, he’s more of a quadruple one – an actor, singer, make-up artist, and also now a director. He knows a thing or two about musical theatre, having played Javert in Les Misérables in multiple countries, including on the West End, Broadway and on these shores. He’s appeared in Matilda, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, and Into the Woods, to name just a few, his cabaret shows have been a hit in New York and in Australia, and he’s released three albums. Based in New York, Hayden is in Sydney to direct the musical Jekyll and Hyde, on at the Hayes Theatre from the 29th of July.

In this conversation, Hayden talks about his innovative staging of Jekyll and Hyde including his incredible cast, and takes us on his journey into singing and musical theatre with an infectious positivity and "can do" attitude.

One of Australia’s most beloved and renowned pianists, Simon Tedeschi has played with all the major Australian orchestras, and is a seasoned chamber musician and collaborator too. He’s recorded a vast swath of albums covering music from JS Bach and Domenico Scarlatti to Mark Isaacs and Mike Nock, with a decent chunk of George Gershwin too. He’s also a writer, with his first book, Fugitive, published in May, simultaneous with winning the Calibre Essay prize for his essay This Woman, My Grandmother.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Simon discusses his writing, including the award-winning essay about his late grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, and reveals what it’s like to learn more about a loved one after their death than was ever known while they were still alive. Also, he compares his writing with his music, and how his early experiences as a proclaimed child prodigy began to shape his psyche and his career.

Simon is one of the 2MBS Fine Music Sydney artistic patrons, and is a long-time friend of the station.

One of the world’s leading young harpsichordists, Justin Taylor has released numerous award-winning solo recordings, and is one of the founders of the internationally renowned period ensemble, Le Consort. The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s artistic director Paul Dyer calls him "a true master of the harpsichord". He comes to the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra stage to be part of a rare performance of JS Bach’s Concerto for Four Harpsichords.

Justin speaks about the intricacies and subtleties of playing the harpsichord and other period keyboards. He elaborates on how the sound production of original keyboard instruments of different eras informs the performance of the music, giving us a greater understanding of what the composer intended.

Justin Taylor performs with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra in Sydney and Melbourne from 5-14 July.

A much-loved cellist who Australia has adopted from his native Finland, Timo-Veikko Valve (known as Tipi) came to this country to become principal cellist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra 16 years ago, a position he has held ever since. He spreads his wings far beyond the ACO, making frequent guest appearances with chamber groups across the country, and of course has played across Europe, North America and Asia. He'll be featured as a soloist in the upcoming ACO tour titled simple “Bach”, and has been very busy in the recording studio too.

In this conversation, Tipi shares his thoughts on some of his favourite works, including sharing some unreleased recordings. He also talks about the complex task of making recordings of his music and the joys of the Finnish sauna experience!