Humming Along

Just when I thought that there not many people actually reading this dark corner of the web, I get these emails commenting about the latest submission and when the next one is due. Well I’ve been humming along (‘scuse the pun!) in Canberra – stuck in the routine of life. I have moved house just recently and have managed to set up my own practice space again. It’s so great to have a studio that one can spread out in and then close the door! I have played one competition in April for the Young Performer Australia. I presented the Concerto in D by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco with the excellent pianist Paul Glass. Although I really enjoyed the experience we were unsuccessful in our bid to progress in the sectional finals. Guess it’s like fishing though, “a bad day fishing is better than a good day in the office” There are many cards on the table, but not many confirmed. There is a concert tour of New Zealand coming up in the next few weeks which I am very excited about, and violinist Judith Hickel has invited me to Germany and Sweden for a five concert series in November. We have put in an application to the ACT government to fund a recording for 2007 and are still waiting to hear back from them. I have been playing only a couple of smaller concert locally around Canberra since I got back from Quebec in early February. It’s a great opportunity to break out the new repertoire. In particular I have been studying the solo guitar work of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. It dawned on me a few years ago that even though this Italian/American composer has written over 100 pieces for the guitar, none are really known…time to find out why! So far I think it is because he just fell out of fashion, but like with every great artist, it takes a lot of milk to make the cream, eh? Couchie