BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Since kicking off in 2005, the Sydney-based Omega Ensemble have become one of the nation’s hottest chamber groups.
Founded by clarinettist and Artistic Director David Rowden with a group of ten other young musicians, the ensemble have worked their way into venues such as the Art Gallery of NSW, City Recital Hall Angel Place, and the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room. This year, they’re back with fresh repertoire by composers such as Hindemith, Debussy, and Mozart, and have on board brand new patron Simone Young AM.
Simone, who has conducted the Berlin and London Philharmonic Orchestras, is “delighted to support the Omega Ensemble.”
“Chamber music is the core of all good music-making: fine musicians sharing expressions of beauty, passion and reflection in close communication with one another and their audiences,” she said in a statement.
“It is a joy to participate both as performer or listener.”
The Omega Ensemble’s contribution to chamber music was acknowledged in 2007 with an APRA/AMC Classical Music Awards nomination for Best Performance of an Original Composition, and is further recognised through this year’s appointment as Ensemble-in-Residence at City Recital Hall Angel Place.
With some great guest artists lined up including Timo-Veikko Valve, the Faust Quartet, Paul Meyer, and the Chaser’s own Julian Morrow, this year’s series is set to be a big one – and Artistic Director David Rowden is as excited as ever.
“I have always been driven to perform in the uniquely intimate chamber music setting. Playing chamber music is an entirely different skill to performing in an orchestra, mainly in the way you communicate with other musicians on stage,” David says.
“It is this difference which excites me the most, and is the reason for being so active in commissioning new works for Omega Ensemble, and creating more chamber music opportunities for the incredibly talented musicians that we have in our wonderful city.”
David’s own talent was recognised when he was awarded a scholarship to study at London’s Royal Academy of Music, and he has gone on to perform with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, The Queensland Orchestra, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
A finalist in the 2011 ABC Young Performer of the Year awards, David encourages all young classical musicians “to never give up.”
“If you believe in your own vision for what you want to do in your own musical life, your dreams and aspirations will inevitably follow.”
For more information on the Omega Ensemble and their 2014 concert series, check outhttp://omegaensemble.instantencore.com/web/bio.aspx .
Image supplied. Credit: Bruce Terry
