Sally Wilson & Mark Kruger

Sally Wilson & Mark Kruger

Berlin-based, world-class opera singer Sally Wilson from Victoria and her husband, pianist Mark Kruger born in Ipswich will bring their classical and edgy modern program to Australia in November.

They will kick off at Queensland’s Bribie Island on October 30 and then tour to Brisbane, Sydney, Albury and Adelaide concluding in Melbourne on Sunday 15th November.

These Australian musical talents were recently revered when they performed by invitation before the TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark at the opening of the Sculpture By The Sea Festival in Aarhus, Denmark.

Many people who come to our concerts have never experienced ‘classical’ music, says Kruger and they often have the usual preconceptions about it — boring, dull, slow, too long etc. They leave with a very different view — we choose songs and piano pieces for an emotional power which communicates fully and passionately to our audiences.

Their repertoire will include the beauty of Schumann and Brahms, the passionate world of opera, virtuosic piano solos and risky dark humour of, for example, New York underground life: cabaret songs by William Bolcom, arias from Carmen, show tunes by Rodgers and Hammerstein, piano music by Alberto Ginastera and Charles Ives, songs by Aaron Copland, Robert Schumann, Flanders and Swann and more.

In the USA, Europe and Australia Sally Wilson has sung recitals and major operatic roles in Rossini, Mozart, Handel, Vivaldi, Gounod and Monteverdi — at venues including London’s Wigmore Hall, Aldeburgh Festival, the Washington Opera, Ravinia Festival, Savoy Opera, Shakespeare’s Globe and Teatro Instabille.

In 2009 Wilson received both a Helpmann Award nomination and a Green Room Award nomination for Best Female in a Supporting Rolefor the role of Ottavia in L’Incoronazione di Poppea. Wilson has achieved an exemplar musical education, having attended the University of Melbourne, Pennsylvanian State University and Manhattan School of Music.

Mark Kruger has performed on television and radio, and at international festivals around the world. He studied at the Moscow State Conservatory of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, London and the Australian National Academy of Music. He is a laureate of the Orleans International Piano Competition and is soon to record CDs for the Naxos and Tall Poppies labels.

sallywilsonmezzo.com, thepianistandthediva.com/Videos.html

Bribie Island, Friday 30 October, 6:30pm

Bribie Island Community Arts Centre

Sunderland Drive, Banksia Beach, Bribie Island

Bookings: 07 3408 9288, bicas@bribieisland.net

Brisbane, Sunday 1 November, 4pm

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

249 Elizabeth St, Brisbane Qld.

Bookings: 07 3359 5419

cathedralofststephen.org.au/concerts.htm

Sydney, Thursday 5 November, 8pm

Paddington Uniting Church

395 Oxford St, Paddington NSW 2021

Albury, Sunday 8 November, 4:30pm

St. Matthew’s Church

Kiewa St, Albury NSW

Bookings: 02 6051 3051

stmatths.com/music/recitals.html

Adelaide, Thursday 12 November, 8pm

The Promethean

116 Grote Street, Adelaide

Phone 08 8212 0266

Bookings: entertainment@theprom.com.au, theprom.com.au/events

Melbourne, Sunday 15 November, 3pm

Collins St. Baptist Church

174 Collins St, Melbourne Vic.

Bookings: 03 5250 3082

Media Enquiries

Emma Collison Publicity, 02 9362 9700, 0418 584 795, emma@emmacollison.com