Arias and Arias – the friendship
“Music fills the infinite between two souls” – Tagore
Soprano Allegra Giagu and pianist Sally Whitwell have been friends for over a decade. They will take their friendship to a new level when they perform together for the first time as a duo.
On the 4th of February, they will present Arias and ARIAS: An evening of opera, piano and light music at Laguna Hall, Wollombi Road, Laguna, New South Wales.
Friendship has enriched the performances of many great musical partnerships, infused with the subtleties of what is unsaid, but understood.
Allegra Giagu and Sally Whitwell first met during their days at the Sydney Children’s Choir and Gondwana Voices. The photograph is of the two of them at the ‘Amelie’ merry-go-round in Paris.
“That was taken about ten years ago on a Sydney Children’s Choir/Gondwana Voices Tour” says Giagu. “I wish I could remember what I was yelling out to Sally from that White Horse!! She was standing and laughing at me being a fool. Far to old, even then, to be messing about on a merry-go-round, and I am sure I said something to that effect. It didn’t get me off the ride though! I was determined to see it through. Giddy-up horsey!”
As well as being a composer, conductor and repetiteur, Sally Whitwell is a formidable pianist who won the 2011 ARIA award for Mad Rush, her solo CD of the piano music of Philip Glass.
Allegra Giagu recently graduated from the Royal College of Music in London and continues to tour this year with performances in Sydney, London’s West End and on soundstrack and screen (see post on Arias, an ARIA winner and the architect)
That day at the merry-go-round, little did Sally know that one day she would be recording the music of Amelie soundtrack composer Yann Tiersen, for that is to be Sally’s next studio project.
Proceeds from the concert go towards the the restoration of the historic St John’s Anglican Church Wollombi.
Tickets:$45 include refreshments at interval. Available at the Laguna Trading Post and Wollombi General Store Tel: 4998 3230
