Above : 2019 Freedman Classical Fellowship finalist, Baroque Violist Katie Yap. Featured image : 2019 Freedman Classical Fellowship winner, bassist Rohan Dasika.
The exacting criteria for selection of the annual Freedman Classical Fellow are bound to produce worthy and highly interesting musician as winner. The final concert process – a live performance display to support each finalist’s industry nomination, project description and interviews is always bound to be quite a stunning option for an audience.
That was definitely the case for the 2019 Freedman Classical Fellowship concert. Three finalists, all lower string player voices this year, delivered impressive samples of their uniqueness. All finalists supplied convincing evidence as to why they could easily advance Australian music making in an innovative future direction.
Bassist Jonathan Heilbron performed his composition and other recent music for double bass, creating a bracket of expansive and sustained modern effects and soundscapes. The potential for him to successfully create new music of a prolonged length as a concert project and also study the impact on sleeping audiences of the exquisite,lengthy environments created was clear via his hypnotically focussed performances.
The diverse concert and touring aspirations of Katie Yap’s presentation suggested a novel placement of the viola and its Australian voice as she aspires to study of the concerns of musical origins and performance place. Contemporary and Baroque repertoire all played on Baroque viola was, like for her fellow finalists, a considerable challenge and promotion for her instrument. It was also a challenging, arresting piece of programming for this finals concert.
Above : 2019 Freedman Classical Fellowship finalist, bassist Jonathan Heilbron
The last performance bracket on the day came from the eventual Freedman Classical Fellowship winner. Bassist Rohan Dasika’s bold manipulation of traditional Western musical intellectualism and sound-worlds did feel quite joyously fresh is a standout way. Viola da gamba music by J S Bach arranged for double bass with accordion catapulted us way out of our comfort zone and into brave new territory.
The winner’s mixing of this sound world with musical gesturing akin to South Asian mediation was smoothly handled and beautifully played. His goal to work, compose and perform using his instrument in Chennai will be a significant piece of cultural exchange. The instant fascination for the listener following the creative morphing of musical tradition was a pleasure to witness.
Dasika’s concern with promoting new music for this instrument, discussion of identity and a humble personal inquisitiveness for creating music or programmes with refreshed spontaneity here were fitting qualities of a Freedman Fellow, rightfully awarded.
Above : Guest artist at this year’s finalist concert, guitarist and 2002 Freedman Fellow Karin Schaupp.
As well as the placement of precious project ideas and commanding performance chunks from the three finalists, we as audience were also treated to a bracket of four pieces by the guitarist Karin
Schaupp.
Since winning the 2002 Freedman Classical Fellowship her career has continued to grow. This concert’s performance of a huge variety of works by Sor, Regonsi, Stanhope and Albeniz showed us
just how much. It also showed that once a quality performer and innovator worthy of this prize, always a compelling and capable musician.
The formidable segments of this final were delightfully drawn together through the commentary of ABC Classic FM presenter Genevieve Lang. Her informed words and the final address by experienced Freedman Fellowship judge Roland Peelman kept audience appreciation of and pride in the young finalists at a very elevated level.
It was an exciting and inspiring concert this year and we look forward to the continued efforts of all finalists, already with considerable local and international reputations. All three finalists possess an obvious ability and urge to significantly stretch the current ways their instrument can touch audiences both here and abroad. The future is bright, bold and thought -provoking indeed.