Media release – University of Tasmania, 6 April 2022

University brings music to the city

The University of Tasmania will welcome the public into the beautiful Hedberg building in the CBD to enjoy free lunchtime concerts from students, staff and alumni from the Music program.

A weekly series of six 50-minute recitals, starting from this Friday, will open the doors for the public to see music being performed in The Ian Potter Recital Hall, the Hedberg’s acoustically renowned performance space for music.

The Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Law and Education, Professor Kate Darian-Smith, said the lunchtime concerts were all about bringing the public into University spaces in the centre of Hobart to experience live music with members of the University community.

“The University adds something special to the Hobart CBD and we are keen to share that,” Professor Darian-Smith said.

“There is no better way for us to communicate the great things that happen in this building than by performing for the public, free of charge and at a time when people may have a little bit of spare time to stop, listen and recharge.

“I am also thrilled that our facilities are designed for us to share music with the community that showcases the unique talents of our staff, students and alumni.”

The series kicks off this Friday at 1pm. The University’s Head of Music, Dr Arabella Teniswood-Harvey, and Tasmania’s internationally renowned composer and pianist, Dr Michael Kieran Harvey, will perform French composer Olivier Messiaen’s Cold War masterpiece for two pianos “Visions de l’Amen” (Visions of the End), which has a particular resonance in light of the war in Ukraine.

The Friday lunchtime recitals will run regularly throughout Semester 1, with the Semester 2 program announced soon. They are in addition to Salon@6, an experimental and eclectic program of concerts open to the public and held on the first Friday of the month at 6pm. These concerts are a fantastic opportunity to experience bold new work and meet our vibrant creative community in The Salon, another of the Hedberg’s state-of-the-art performance spaces.

This Friday’s performance:

Dr Arabella Teniswood-Harvey is a pianist, art historian and academic. She was one of the few musicians awarded full scholarship for the Australian National Academy of Music’s inaugural Advanced Performance Program. She has since performed nationally and internationally, and her recordings have been critically acclaimed in forums including Gramophone magazine.

Australian pianist and composer, Dr Michael Kieran Harvey FAHA, is one of the foremost interpreters of contemporary piano music of his generation. A champion of Australian music and himself a composer, he regularly commissions new Australian music and has performed with Australia’s leading contemporary music ensembles and orchestras.

Please note: Our first lunchtime concert on Friday 8 April has now sold out. See the full concert schedule for Semester 1 below. Concerts will be livestreamed on YouTube, with a link available from 12:45pm on the day.

Tickets for the recitals are free but registration is essential as seating is limited.

8/04/2022 Arabella Teniswood-Harvey, Michael Kieran Harvey
22/04/2022 Andrew Legg, Maria Lurighi
29/04/2022 Mia Palencia in Good Company with Paul Williamson (album launch)
13/05/2022 Student Concert: Wind Ensemble
20/05/2022 Student concert: Chamber Music
27/05/2022 Student concert: Piano in stereo