This weekend marks not only the opening of our 2023 Season, but also the launch of our brand-new Steinway D-274 piano, which was selected by Paul Lewis and Ulrich Gerhartz (Director of Concert and Artist Services at Steinway at London) from the Hamburg factory in November last year.
It is a minor miracle how many stars have aligned to make this happen: Paul and Ulrich had a day free in their busy schedules that just happened to coincide with one of the few selection days at Steinway, and our architect Anton Johnson was able to reconfigure the storeroom adjacent to the greenroom to accommodate the new instrument before it arrived.
We would particularly like to acknowledge Paul and Ulrich for their time, dedication and attention to detail in selecting such a beautiful new instrument for UKARIA. The acquisition of the Steinway would not have been possible without the advocacy of board member Paul Kildea (Artistic Director of Musica Viva Australia), and former board member Joan Sedsman, who introduced UKARIA to John Lane Koch. John subsequently left UKARIA a bequest which completely funded the purchase of the instrument. His generosity is commemorated by a special gold plaque on the lid of the piano.
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Tickets to Paul Lewis’s 2023 concerts at UKARIA have sold out. You can still watch one of Paul’s concerts at the Melbourne Recital Centre live streamed from the comfort of your home on Australian Digital Concert Hall on Tuesday 7 February 7.30pm (AEDT).
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A MASTER AT WORK: ULRICH GERHARTZ INSTALLING UKARIA’S NEW STEINWAY
Universally recognised as a piano whisperer, Ulrich Gerhartz is among a small handful of master piano technicians whose commitment to their craft and attention to detail is quietly astonishing. Employed since his apprenticeship in Steinway’s Hamburg factory in 1986 and currently Director of Concert and Artist Services at Steinway in London, Ulrich has completed the installation of new concert grands in many of the world’s finest venues, and serviced and prepared pianos for Alfred Brendel, Mitsuko Uchida, Evgeny Kissin, Imogen Cooper, Maria João Pires, Murray Perahia, and – of course – Paul Lewis. ‘In an all but invisible way,’ Jasper Rees wrote in a 2009 profile in the Guardian, ‘Gerhartz is probably the single most important figure in the entire piano world, at least to pianists and to concert halls.’
We were incredibly fortunate to have Ulrich ‘install’ our new Steinway D-274 at UKARIA. On Thursday 12 January, he spent over eight hours regulating, voicing and tuning the new piano in the space to match the unique acoustic of UKARIA. We are very grateful to Ulrich for taking the time to answer a few questions.
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW
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UKARIA 24 FILM BY ÂME PRODUCTIONS:
TORLEIF THEDÉEN – SONG OF THE BIRDS
The postproduction on a twenty-minute film about last year’s UKARIA 24 is almost complete, pending a few final copyright permissions. The talented team from Âme productions (Jessie Rodger, filmmaker, and Brett Cox, sound engineer) have captured the essence of the event, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
In the meantime, please enjoy this exquisite performance (taken from the film) of Swedish cellist Torleif Thedéen performing Pablo Casals’s ‘Song of the Birds’ at UKARIA on the 1783 Guadagnini cello previously owned by Mstislav Rostropovich. The piece was first performed by Casals on 24 October 1971 at the general Assembly of the United Nations, when he received the UN Peace Medal at the age of 94. Before he began playing, he said:
‘I have not played the cello in public for many years, but I feel that the time has come to play again. I am going to play a melody from Catalan folklore: “El cant dels ocells” – “The Song of the Birds”. Birds sing when they are in the sky, they sing: “Peace, Peace, Peace”, and it is a melody that Bach, Beethoven and all the greats would have admired and loved. What is more, it is born in the soul of my people, Catalonia.’
We encourage you to subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified when future videos are uploaded.
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW BOOKKEEPER/RECEPTIONIST:
MAIREAD HOOPER
We are delighted to welcome Mairead Hooper to the new part-time role of Bookkeeper/Receptionist.
‘I enjoy engaging with all aspects of the arts, including visual arts, performing arts, dance, writing and music. I have a diverse background in arts administration, having worked in the sector for over fifteen years. I'm passionate about fostering participation in the arts, providing opportunities for artists and helping to build a vibrant cultural sector in South Australia. I have completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts through the Adelaide Centre for the Arts and a Graduate Diploma in Arts and Cultural Management from the University of South Australia. My background has primarily been in the visual arts, most recently holding the position of Office and Gallery Manager for Adelaide Contemporary Experimental (ACE). My experience also includes working in administration and programming at Renew Adelaide, the Art Gallery of South Australia, Arts in Health at Flinders Medical Centre and I was Manager of Artlink from 2006–2011. When I’m not at UKARIA I assist other arts organisations, including the Mill and Post Office Projects (POP) and I’m also working on an archive project with Artlink.’
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW FACILITIES MANAGER:
JOHN CARTER
We are also excited to welcome John Carter as our new part-time Facilities Manager.
‘The road to UKARIA has been long, wide and varied. I am a local Hills resident having grown up on the family farming property and orchard in Kenton Valley, and went to school in Birdwood. I trained as an electrician, worked in construction and maintenance, then moved into the printing industry as service manager for a national company. I was then state manager in sales and marketing for the next thirty years. For the last three years I worked in Civil engineering and Landscaping. I am married to Vicki and we celebrate 45 years of marriage this month. We have three children and seven grandchildren and happily have them all living in the local area. I am also involved with the Orangutan Foundation Australia being a former board member. I am excited to be part of the UKARIA team and will take great pride in helping to keep the amazing site in pristine condition.’
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FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN
Just a reminder that our first Friends of the Garden session is coming up on Tuesday 14 February, from 9.00am–12.00pm. These volunteer events give those who have a passion for gardening the chance to spend a few hours working on our grounds, to catch up with like-minded garden lovers, and to soak up nature and be immersed in the contemplative beauty of the property. As always, complimentary morning tea is provided, along with all gardening equipment, but you’re welcome to bring your own.
To register your interest, please get in touch at info@ukaria.com.au.
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AUTUMN–WINTER 2023 SEASON
In our next newsletter, we’ll launch our Autumn–Winter 2023 Season, which supplements our printed Early Release brochure with an additional nine new concerts. Tickets go on sale on Friday 17 February, so please save the date in your diaries. As always, our office will be open 9–5pm on the day, so our team will be available by phone – (08) 8227 1277 – to assist you with any ticketing queries.
Dylan Henderson
Communications Manager
UKARIA
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