Elysium Ensemble's Greg Dikmans and Lucinda Moon and Cellist Hilary Kleinig to Perform at Elder Hall, May 11

Greg Dikmans and Lucinda Moon of the Elysium Ensemble are joined by Adelaide-based cellist, Hilary Kleinig in the Elder Perspectives Series on Sunday May 11 at 3 pm.

The elegance, charm and wit of Joseph Haydn's six Divertimenti for flute, violin and cello, are brought to life with the supple tones and dynamics of period instruments in an intimate setting.

Haydn's Six Divertimenti were first published in London in 1784 by William Forster, a dealer and violin maker who purchased more than 120 compositions by Haydn. They are chamber works of quality and charm which bear out fully Haydn's comment that "in instrumental music my pure musical fantasies are usually given free reign".

The Divertimento, (which in Italian means diversion or amusement), along with the Cassation and Serenade, played an important role in the social and musical life of the middle classes in the second half of the 18th-century, particularly in South Germany and Austria.

The Elysium Ensemble embodies the concept of "elysium" (defined in the 17th century as a state of ideal happiness) by bringing together musicians whose awareness of the stylistic demands of the repertoire is combined with a mastery of period instruments.

The ensemble's performances are indicative of the freshness and spontaneity which the musicians bring to this collaboration through discussion, rehearsal, experimentation and research.

The Elysium Ensemble has released its recording of duets by Johann Joachim Quantz (1697-1773). This is the first of a series of recordings as part of its Baroque Music Performance Research Project.

The Elysium Ensemble, featuring Greg Dikmans flute, Lucinda Moon violin, Hilary Kleinig cello (period instruments), will play in concert at 3.00pm on Sunday 11 May 2014 at Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide. Admission $25/$18 Tickets at door. Book online: www.elderhall.adelaide.edu.au.

Biographies:

Greg Dikmans
Founded in 1985 by its artistic director Greg Dikmans, the Elysuim ensemble has a flexible format, with a small core membership drawn from Australia's leading period instrument specialists that is expanded for larger orchestral works. The ensemble presents an annual concert series in Melbourne that has established its reputation as one of Australia's finest chamber ensembles. It has performed extensively in Australia, including appearances at major festivals, and made numerous live broadcasts and concert recordings for the ABC. The Elysium Ensemble is affiliated with the Early Music Studio at the University of Melbourne.

Lucinda Moon
In addition to her position as principal violinist with the Elysium Ensemble, Lucinda has recorded and performed with the Australian groups, Chacona (Newcastle), Adelaide Baroque, Salut! Baroque and Festival Baroque Australia (Perth). She has appeared in the Adelaide Fringe, Coriole Music, Melbourne Autumn Music, Barossa Music, and Western Australia's Blackwood River Chamber Festivals. In 2010 Lucinda presented a series of three performances - Illuminations of the Heart - for the Elder Hall's Dualities series in the Adelaide Festival of Arts. Lucinda was concertmaster of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra from 1995 - 2008.

Hilary plays cello, baroque cello and viola da gamba and has studied in Australia at the Elder Conservatorium with Niall Brown and Janis Laurs and in the UK with Anna Shuttleworth and Alison Crumb. She is a multi-skilled musician whose work includes performance, composition and arranging, education and arts management. Hilary has worked in live and recorded performance as a freelance musician and in orchestras for opera, ballet and musicals. As a baroque specialist she regularly plays with chamber ensembles such as Syntony, Adelaide Baroque, Adelaide Chamber Singers and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Hilary composes and arranges music for film, dance, theatre and ensembles. She is also a dedicated teacher of cello and conductor of ensembles.