Ayse and friends at the Sydney Opera House

'I learned on my trip to Turkey last year the ability of the Turks to create joy through the appreciation of simple things, even in the midst of  life's difficulties.'

The speaker is soprano Ayse Goknur Shanal who together with three fellow musicians (kemane player Ali Yıldız, bağlama player Deniz Şimşek and pianist Ashley Hribar) gave a wonderful and wonderfully heartfelt concert 'Anatolia', at Sydney Opera House Utzon Room on Sunday. They were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the signing of a migration agreement between Australia and Turkey with a concert of Turkish folk songs.

From left: Ali, Ashley, Ayse aand Deniz

Personally I had a multicultural experience that evening such that few cities can offer. I was there to hear a group of gifted first and second generation Turkish Australians play Turkish music, but before the concert I stumbled on the 'Lighting of the Sails', an Aboriginal inspired light show with projected images on the smaller opera house sail. It lasted 5 minutes from 6pm. I was joined by lots of Asian tourists who all recorded it on their phones, so it is probably a much uploaded travelogue entry.

Lighting of the Sails

Then I met a Chinese tourist who was also attending the concert I was seeing. On discovering I paint, she showed me (on her phone) her personal collection of art works. They included some astonishing needle-worked art that she said were very expensive (artist unknown). This was her third visit to Sydney but her first to the opera house.

My other neighbour at the concert was a Turkish woman who was an avid opera fan and who spoke excitedly of the many operas she had seen at the opera house or on the harbour.

The day had been much hotter than usual in April and I had almost left my woollen shawl at home. However, I was very glad the hot weather had not diverted me as the venue was cold then even colder. As the concert progressed my shawl crept over the knees of we three women and my two neighbours were as grateful as I was for the warmth. Being linked with these women in such a way made me think of  Ayse's words about deriving joy from small things. 


If you use Facebook, the concert (part 1) can be viewed here.

Concert to commemorate the centenary of Gallipoli

Last night a concert of new works by Australian, Turkish and New Zealand composers was presented in the Paddington Church by soprano AyşeGöknur Shanal.

Ayşe won the Australian Singing Competition in 1998 and has won many national and international awards since. She is a passionate advocate of 21st Century music and this year she commissioned work by six composers which were presented for the first time last night.  Ayşe was accompanied by pianist Patrick Keith, himself an award winning accompanist. 

Composers Ross Fiddes, Diana Blom, Sylvia Rice and  John Wayne Dixon with
pianist Patrick Keith and Soprano Ayşe Göknur Shanal

It was fascinating having the composers on hand to explain their music, at least all but one, Erberk Erylimaz, who is currently in America but who wrote a stunning piece called Songs Against War that included voice sung into the piano which was quite extraordinary - you have to see it performed to appreciate it.

Below is a video in which Ayşe explains how she discovered her love of opera singing.

Miriam

Miriam Gordon-Stewart

In 2006 I spent some time in Hamburg drawing Miriam Gordon-Stewart during rehearsals of Figaro. I had intended to make a larger portrait from my initial watercolours but instead they were packed away because I moved to Dunedin.

In 2009 I made a larger study of Miriam in Hamburg, again as a precursor to a larger painting.

I am still unpacking boxes that have been in storage for years and the other day these paintings of Miriam re-surfaced. The larger painting is still germinating but in the meantime I have finally put my preparatory paintings online at artsmitten.com