Gabrielle Ball, Horn

Barry Tuckwell and Gabi at IHS42

2010-08-01T20:22:00.002+10:00

What an honour it was to meet Barry Tuckwell. As a horn playing legend, an Australian and the Founding President of the International Horn Society, it was only natural that Barry would be in attendance.

Thanks for the photo Barry!!

IHS42 Brisbane was Brilliant!

2010-08-01T20:05:00.003+10:00

As you can all read from the title of this post, the 42nd International Horn Symposium in Brisbane was amazing. Congratulations to Symposium Host Peter Luff and his team for putting together such a fantastic event.

I had a wonderful time catching up with friends and colleagues and also making new friends. I thought it was pretty funny that I travelled all the way to Brisbane to meet other horn players from Canberra!

This will be a brief post, with others to follow containing more details of the events and activities which occurred during the 5 day horn-fest.

Daramalan College Orchestra wins Silver in National Eisteddfod

2010-08-01T15:18:00.002+10:00

Congratulations to the Daramalan College Orchestra winning silver in the 18 Years and Under Orchestra section in the National Eisteddfod. Thank you to all the music staff for your support and to our parent cheer squad on the day.

Teaching and Conducting at Daramalan College

2010-02-12T10:50:00.002+11:00

I will be teaching horn and conducting the orchestra at Daramalan College this year. I'm looking forward to meeting and working with all the music students and staff.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Canberra 2010

2010-02-12T10:35:00.003+11:00

Tickets for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are now available through the Canberra Philharmonic Society website. I'll place a link on this blog. The show runs from 4th-20th March. Don't forget to listen for the horn playing.....

James Morrison in Canberra

2010-02-12T10:24:00.003+11:00

James Morrison is returning to Canberra with his orchestra in a concert at the National Convention Centre tomorrow night at 7.30pm. As well as James, other featured artists include Doug Parkinson and Monica Trapaga.

Tickets to this fantastic event can be booked through Ticketek.

Australian Chamber Orchestra in Canberra

2010-01-31T15:33:00.004+11:00

The Australian Chamber Orchestra will be performing in Canberra on Saturday, 6th February. The concert features Richard Tognetti performing the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 on his Guarneri del Gesu violin.

Click on the advertisement for further details of this concert.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Canberra 2010

2010-01-28T12:15:00.002+11:00

The Canberra Philharmonic Society will present a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat from 4th - 20th March 2010 at the Erindale Theatre.

I will be playing horn in the orchestra for this production and am looking forward to the season.

An Insight into the Young Benjamin Britten

2010-01-28T11:41:00.004+11:00

Not much is written about the life of Benjamin Britten before his great success with his opera Peter Grimes in 1945. In Journeying Boy: The Diaries of the Young Benjamin Britten, the diaries the composer kept for a decade from the age of 14 reveal his lonely boyhood, his extraordinary talent and his opinions of other musicians. This review by Charlotte Higgins appeared in The Canberra Times on 23rd January. Please click on the image of the article to read the review.

IHS42 Brisbane Update: More Confirmed Artists

2010-01-13T09:15:00.016+11:00

IHS42 Koala Logo is used with kind permission from the copyright owner.

The 2010 International Horn Symposium in Brisbane is gaining momentum as more confirmations are received from featured and contributing artists.

Featured artists now include The American Horn Quartet (David Johnson, Kerry Turner, Charles Putnam, Geoffrey Winter), Andrew Bain, Nicole Cash, Ben Jacks, Rob Johnson, Frank Lloyd, Hector McDonald, Stephen Morley, Jeff Nelsen, David Thompson, William VerMeulen and the Virtuoso Horn Duo (Kristina Mascher and Kerry Turner).

The symposium also includes the following concert with The Queensland Symphony Orchestra:

8pm Friday 23rd July

QPAC Concert Hall

Conductor Johannes Fritzsch

Vienna Horn : Hector McDonald

American Horn Quartet

Franz Strauss Horn Concerto

Schumann Konzertstuck for Four Horns

Mozart Horn Concerto No. 3

Bartok Concerto for Orchestra

You can check out full details of the symposium at the website:

http://www.ihs42brisbane.com

62nd Annual AYO National Music Camp Free Concert Series 9 - 16 January Canberra

2010-01-08T15:51:00.005+11:00

The 62nd Annual AYO National Music Camp is being held in Canberra from 3 - 17 January. There is a series of FREE concerts being given at Llewellyn Hall, Australian National University, School of Music. The first concert is at 4.30pm tomorrow and the final concert is on 16th January at 8pm. As well as orchestral performances, there will be concerts by the percussion ensemble, brass ensemble, an advanced chamber music concert as well as a concert featuring new music written by composers attending the camp.

Please click on the advertisement for further details of the concert series.

TV Documentary: The Musical Brain

2010-01-06T12:05:00.004+11:00

Happy New Year! All my best wishes to readers for 2010! As horn players in Australia we have a great year ahead of us with the 42nd International Horn Symposium being held in Brisbane (see earlier blog post) and the Melbourne International Festival of Brass.

Get an early musical start to the year by watching The Musical Brain. This documentary will screen on SBS1 at 7.30pm next Tuesday, January 12. It will illuminate how the brain uses music to shape the human experience.

The documentary will also feature insights from artists including Sting, Wyclef Jean, Michael Buble and Feist. The film will also reveal how music is interpreted by those who create it and those who listen to it.

A reminder of the screening time: 12th January, SBS1, 7.30pm The Musical Brain. It should be interesting to watch.

Leroy Jones at Melbourne International Festival of Brass

2009-12-16T12:07:00.006+11:00

New Orleans trumpeter Leroy Jones will be performing at the 2010 Melbourne International Festival of Brass. For the past decade Leroy has performed with the Harry Connick Jr Big Band, has performed on numerous recordings with various artists, leads one of the Preservation Hall Jazz Bands and has released several solo recordings.

There are still a few days to purchase Early Bird passes to the 2010 Melbourne International Festival of Brass. Check out the Festival website (there is a link on this blog) for more details.

International Music Sheet Library Project / Petrucci Music Library

2009-12-01T11:53:00.003+11:00

The International Music Sheet Library Project (IMSLP) / Petrucci Music Library is an online virtual music library containing public domain music scores and scores from composers who are willing to share their music with the world without charge. The site has been online since the 16th February 2006 and currently contains 19,899 works, 44,717 scores and the work(s) of 2,637 composers.

Scores can be searched by the composer's name, time period, genre or instrumentation, or the composer's nationality. The site can also be translated into 19 different languages including English. Upon finding the score that you want, you can download it in PDF format onto your computer completely free of charge.

The IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library is a brilliant free online resource for all musicians and is definitely worth checking out.

I will place a link to the site on this blog.

Melbourne International Festival of Brass Early Bird Special

2009-12-01T11:39:00.002+11:00

Early Bird Passes are available for the 2010 Melbourne International Festival of Brass. These full Festival Passes allow entry to every event in the Festival and would make an ideal Christmas gift for anyone who would like to attend the festival next year.

Prices are: $350 (tertiary student)

$450 (adult)

The Early Bird Special expires on December 18th.

For more detailed information, check out the Melbourne International Festival of Brass website. There is a link to the site on this blog.

Farewell Miss Saigon

2009-11-30T11:48:00.002+11:00

I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the production of Miss Saigon on a fantastic season. It was a pleasure to work with you all. I wish everyone all the very best for the future.

Canberra Times Review: Miss Saigon

2009-11-16T12:39:00.009+11:00

I would like to congratulate all involved in the current Canberra production of Miss Saigon for the great review in The Canberra Times today.

Please click on the image of the article to read the review.

I hope that everyone is enjoying their few days off and I'll see you all again on Wednesday night.

42nd International Horn Symposium, Brisbane 2010

2009-11-11T11:23:00.006+11:00

The 2010 International Horn Society Symposium will be held in beautiful Brisbane. As previously mentioned in this blog, most IHS symposiums are held in the USA and sometimes Europe, so this is a fantastic opportunity for all horn players in Australia, New Zealand and Asia to attend.

The symposium will run from the 18th - 23rd of July next year and the venues are the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University and the Brisbane Convention Centre. These two venues are located in the South Bank area of Brisbane, near the Brisbane River and within easy walking distance of great cafes and fantastic restaurants.

The Founding President of the IHS, Barry Tuckwell will be attending as well as the following featured artists: The American Horn Quartet, Nicole Cash, Philip Hall, Ben Jacks, Frank Lloyd, David Thompson, William VerMeulen and the Virtuoso Horn Duo.

Other contributing artists include Armin Terzer, the horn section of The Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and The Southern Cross Soloists.

The website for the Brisbane Horn Symposium is: http://www.ihs42brisbane.com/index.php/home/

Put these dates into your diaries as the symposium is already shaping up to be fantastic!

Australian Chamber Orchestra in Canberra

2009-11-07T11:58:00.006+11:00

The Australian Chamber Orchestra will be performing in Canberra on Saturday, November 14. The programme consists of the Beethoven Fours, or more specifically the Fourth Symphony and the Fourth Piano Concerto, featuring Dejean Lazic as the piano soloist.

The concert will begin at 8pm at Llewellyn Hall.

International Horn Society

2009-10-29T11:20:00.006+11:00

Established in 1970, The International Horn Society (IHS) is an organisation of people from around the world drawn together with a mutual interest in the horn. They are dedicated to the performance, teaching, composition, research, preservation, and promotion of the horn as a musical instrument. The Founding President of the IHS was Barry Tuckwell, the Australian horn virtuoso.

Details of how to join the IHS as well as benefits of membership can be found on the IHS website. I will place a link on this blog.

This is a particularly good year for horn players in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia to consider membership in the IHS as the next Horn Symposium will be held in Brisbane in 2010. Members of the IHS receive discounts to attend the Symposium. Most of the Horn Symposiums in past years have been held in the Northern Hemisphere (typically in the USA and sometimes in Europe). This is a fantastic opportunity for all horn players in the Southern Hemisphere to attend a Symposium and to see what we've been missing out on due to geographical disadvantage. Peter Luff is the host of the 2010 Symposium.

Visit this blog again soon for further details on the 2010 International Horn Society Symposium in Brisbane.

2010 Melbourne International Festival of Brass

2009-10-24T10:44:00.006+11:00

The dates for the 2010 Melbourne International Festival of Brass have been confirmed! The festival will run from Sunday 26th September 2010 to Saturday October 2nd 2010. German Brass have already been confirmed as guests.

This was the first year I had the opportunity to attend this amazing festival and it was a fantastic experience. The guest horn players who attended this year were Jeff Nelsen (Canadian Brass), Ben Jacks (Principal Horn Sydney Symphony Orchestra), Andrew Bain (Principal Horn Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the legendary Barry Tuckwell. Jeff Nelsen performed an amazing recital as well as doing masterclasses and a horn warm-up class. Although Barry Tuckwell has retired from performing, it was amazing to listen to him speak about his experiences as an orchestral musician and soloist, and also to hear the advice he had for the performers in his masterclass.

Put these dates into your diaries as I'm sure the 2010 Festival will be fantastic!

Canberra Symphony Orchestra in Concert Tonight

2009-10-22T16:13:00.004+11:00

The Canberra Symphony Orchestra will present its final concert in its Llewellyn Series tonight. The concert is titled "Triumph" and will be conducted by Nicholas Milton, the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the orchestra. The programme includes the new version of Peter Sculthorpe's Port Essington (the world premiere of the re-working of this piece was performed by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra last night), Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor with soloist Emma-Jane Murphy, and Symphony No. 2 in D major by Sibelius.

The concert will take place at Llewellyn Hall beginning at 7.30pm. There will be a free pre-concert talk at 6.45pm.

Concert Review: Southern Cross Soloists with Jack Liebeck

2009-10-14T09:36:00.006+11:00

The Southern Cross Soloists performed in Canberra on Sunday, October 11 at 7.30pm at the Wesley Music Centre. This concert was part of the group's national tour and they were joined by the young English violin virtuoso Jack Liebeck.

The programme opened with a beautiful performance of three arias from Handel's Neun Deutschen Arien. Handel wrote this set of nine songs to the German-language texts of Barthold Heinrich Brockes, from his collection Irdisches Vergnuegen in Gott (Contentment on Earth Through God). Margaret Schindler's masterful interpretation was accompanied by Kevin Power on piano and Jack Liebeck performing an obligato part on the violin.

The next work on the programme was Abyss, an original composition by the group's director and clarinettist, Paul Dean. The world premiere of this work was earlier this week in the ensemble's Brisbane concert. Paul's inspiration for Abyss came from two different sources. He was inspired to write a piece for Jack Liebeck after hearing him perform at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville in 2007. His inspiration for the music came from a painting by his sister-in-law, Heather Betts. The painting "for a few seconds II" comes from a series called "deliverance" and is about the sinking of the ship SIEVX off the coast of Western Australia in October 2001. 353 refugees drowned in this tragedy, and it is to their memory that the work is dedicated. The first movement, Promise, opens with an extended muted horn solo, artfully and sensitively performed by Peter Luff. The following movements, Leaving, Panic, Loss and Silence, depict the experience of the refugees as the boat takes on water, the ensuing panic, and finally letting go of loved ones in an impossible attempt to save oneself. This was a very dramatic and moving performance.

Along the Field - Eight Housman Songs for voice and violin by Ralph Vaughan Williams followed Abyss, the lightness of the voice and violin contrasting with the darkness and weight of the ensemble in the previous work. Vaughan Williams was one of the first composers to travel into the countryside to collect folk-songs and carols from singers, notating them for future generations to enjoy. Deeply touched by the purity and simplicity of these melodies, he became inspired to write a song cycle in folk style. Once again, lyric soprano Margaret Schindler delivered a fantastic performance accompanied by Jack Liebeck. At times, Along the Field, sounded strongly reminiscent of the vocal works of Vaughan Williams' contemporary, Benjamin Britten.

The second half of the concert opened with yet another new Australian composition, this time by Matthew Hindson. Central Australian Song is scored for violin, oboe, Eb clarinet, horn, piano and soprano. The inspiration for this work comes from indigeneous and non-indigeneous responses to the nuclear bombing of areas such as Maralinga and Emu Field. The instruments take the central role in this work, playing a "pseudo-Pitjanjara lament" as may be heard in the desert regions of South Australia. Persistent rhythms played by the Eb clarinet and oboe are reminiscent of the sound and role of clapping sticks often played in traditional Australian Aboriginal music. The basis of the text comes from Revelations 6:12-13. An added challenge for Margaret Schindler was to learn and perform the text in the Pitjanjara language.

The final work of the evening was the Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso in A minor by the celebrated French composer Camille Saint-Saens. This is a work of incredible virtuosity for the solo violinist, and is one of Saint-Saens' most popular compositions. The assured and passionate performance given by Jack Liebeck was very well received by the Canberra audience. The Southern Cross Soloists accompanied Jack in this performance with an arrangement by Kevin Power, the group's pianist.

The audience was small but very appreciative of the fantastic music they heard on this night. The Southern Cross Soloists have a large and loyal following in their home base, Brisbane. Let's hope that after this concert, their Canberra audience grows significantly and that they will return soon!

Miss Saigon in Canberra

2009-10-10T13:15:00.003+11:00

Phoenix Players and Supa Productions in conjunction with papermoon present Miss Saigon in Canberra. The season runs from the 12th to the 28th of November 2009. The show will be presented at the ANU Arts Centre, Union Court, Acton. Tickets are already available through the Miss Saigon Canberra link I will place on this blog.

I am playing horn for this Canberra premiere and am looking forward to the season!

James Morrison in Canberra

2009-10-10T13:09:00.002+11:00

Legendary Australian jazz trumpeter James Morrison will be performing in Canberra on the 5th of November. He will be presenting his 'Motown" show.

James will be performing at the Hellenic Club of Canberra.

Hall Village Brass in Concert Tonight

2009-10-10T12:57:00.002+11:00

Hall Village Brass Band are the 2009 Open B Grade Brass Champions, and will be performing their annual concert tonight at the Queanbeyan Arts Centre. The Queanbeyan Players will also be making a guest appearance in the performance.

The programme includes excerpts from Band of Brothers, Jesus Christ Superstar, the Nutcracker Suite, Gothic Dances, Yeoman of the Guard, and Adagio for Strings.

Tickets are available from The Q Box Office and cost $25 for Adults and $20 for Concession tickets.

Southern Cross Soloists in Canberra

2009-10-07T09:27:00.006+11:00

The fantastic Brisbane based chamber ensemble, The Southern Cross Soloists, will be performing in Canberra as part of their national tour. Their concert is on Sunday, October 11th at the Wesley Uniting Church beginning at 7.30pm. The Southern Cross Soloists will be performing with the virtuoso English violinist Jack Liebeck.

The horn player in Southern Cross Soloists is Peter Luff. Peter is currently the Senior Lecturer in French Horn at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University and the Acting Principal Horn with The Queensland Orchestra.

The website for the Southern Cross Soloists is http://www.southernxsoloists.com/

I attempted earlier to place a link to their website on this blog, but this didn't work. You can view upcoming concerts and order CD's through this website.

Hornarama Listing

2009-10-06T09:44:00.002+11:00

I am now listed at www.hornarama.com.au under the horn teachers section.

Hornarama is a fantastic Australian website that covers everything about the horn and horn-related news in Australia. You can also buy sheet music and CDs from this site. This site is well worth checking out!

Mnozil Brass in Brisbane

2009-10-05T11:59:00.000+11:00

To all readers in Brisbane: The amazing Austrian brass ensemble Mnozil Brass are playing two concerts in Brisbane this week. They will be performing at the Brisbane City Hall on Monday and Tuesday evenings.

Mnozil Brass will be leaving Australia later this week so these two concerts are the last opportunities to see this unique group until they return to Australia again.

Lesson Rates

2009-10-05T11:24:00.000+11:00

Here are my rates for lessons:

Private Horn Lessons

1/2 hour $30

1 hour $60

Group Horn Lessons

1 hour $40 per person (maximum 3 people)

Section Tutorials

1 hour $80 (4 member section, $20 for each extra person)

Aural Lessons

1/2 hour $30

Theory Lessons

1/2 hour $30

Contact me through this blog if you have any questions or to arrange a lesson time.

Introduction, Overture, Prelude, Vorspiel

2009-10-05T10:31:00.000+11:00

A few words to introduce myself..........my name is Gabrielle Ball and I am a horn player currently living in Canberra, Australia. I have recently returned from a year of living, working and learning from the top horn players in Chicago. I have experience as a professional musician in varied fields including orchestral, wind band, recording sessions, musicals and chamber groups.

I hold a Bachelor of Music (Performance) degree from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University.

I am also an experienced horn teacher of all levels of musician (beginners through to tertiary students). I teach private and group lessons, section tutorials as well as aural and theory lessons. I also have experience as a conductor of both small and large ensembles.

My rates for lessons can be found on this blog.

If you wish to see a copy of my current CV, contact me through this blog and I will send you a copy.